Comfort
by WriteOnForever
Summary: "Yer pretty." Artemis never knew those two words could plague her with such fear.
1. Chapter 1

This is written per MissSecret's request. Hope you like it!

High T for rape, not extremely graphic, violence, and a few bad words

Disclaimer: I do not, and probably never will, own _Young Justice_.

Comfort

The first sensation I processed as I dragged myself from unconsciousness was pain, a pounding in the back of my head. Groaning quietly, I tried to touch it, only to realize that my wrists were bound together behind my back by what felt like metal chains. My ankles were treated in the same manner.

Struggling to maintain calm, I quickly surveyed my surroundings.

_Warehouse. No doubt about that. Probably one of the abandoned ones on Gotham's outskirts. Now just how the Hell did I get here? _

"Well, well, well. Sleepin' Beauty's finally awake."

"Terror," I growled as the meta-human stepped forward from the darkest corner.

_He'd attacked me when I was getting home from Star City. _The memory came flooding back, how I'd been so hyped from that night that I hadn't had my guard up, how he took me down with one blow. _Damn it, damn it, damn it! How'd I let this happen?_

"Y'know," he mused, approaching me, "I was expectin' more ofa fight from you, being Sportsmaster's daughter and all."

"Untie me and see what kind of fight I can put up!"

He shook his head, explaining, "Naw. First night as a free man. I wanna have me some fun."

"You got really fricking lucky that this jail break worked," I spat, pushing my hands against the floor to get myself into a sitting position. "You'll get sent back to Belle Reve. You and all the rest."

"Maybe." He shrugged. "But not yet."

He stared at me. The dim light from the full moon illuminated the lust in his eyes.

"Yer pretty."

I had no idea these two simple words could plague me with overwhelming fear. Clenching my jaw, I remained silent but began desperately working against the chains.

"Yer real pretty," he continued, kneeling beside me.

_God, no, please God no._

"Don't you dare," I hissed.

Laughing a low, husky chuckle that sounded like a dog's bark, he whispered, "What you gon' do, little girl?"

He moved as though to stroke a piece of hair from my eyes, but I quickly jerked away, baring my teeth.

"A feisty one." A grin crossed his face. "I like that."

"I swear I'll kill you, you son of a bitch."

Grin warping into a twisted snarl, he pulled me closer and sneered, "I'd like to see you try."

Animal instincts and adrenaline kicking in, I reared my head back and slammed it into his skull. Recovering faster than he did, I rolled onto my knees and crawled as fast as I could.

_Stay traught, stay traught. Just need to get away, or hide, or something. I'm gonna be fine, just fine—_

A kick to the back of the legs brought me to the hard floor and back to reality. Grabbing me by the ponytail, Terror forced me to my knees and jerked my head up so I was looking at him. He slapped me and growled, "You think yer so tough, huh? I can change that. I can change that real fast."

I responded by spitting in his face.

Snarling, he wiped off the saliva. "You gon' regret that."

He threw me down, knocking the wind from my body. He took the opportunity to pin my shoulders and straddled me. Ignoring my protests, he pressed his lips to mine. A shudder of repulsion ran through me, and I bit him as hard as I could. Blood ran along my tongue, my teeth, but I relished it because it proved I still had some sort of control.

Howling in pain and rage, he pulled away and backhanded me, hard enough to break my nose. My blood mingled with his.

"You bitch!" he shouted, slamming my head against the floor. "I swear to God I'll kill you!"

_Bring it on, you stupid bastard. I'm not scared of you. You think I'm just gonna lie here and let you use me like I'm your personal sex toy? Hell no. C'mon, kill me. I fricking dare you._

Those thoughts refused to manifest themselves into words. Because they weren't really mine.

They belonged to the girl I _thought_ I was, the girl I _wanted _to be. Unbreakable and unafraid and unwilling to let myself be degraded, no matter the consequences.

Lying there, under his weight, completely helpless, I realized I wasn't that girl. Not even close.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, and I hated how weak I sounded.

"Good girl," he cooed. "You gon' listen now, right?"

All I could do was nod.

Victorious, he resumed kissing me, and I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to look at him. I tried to pretend it wasn't him, that it was a certain red-head who was cocky and bull-headed and sweet, but I couldn't pretend for very long because that boy would never be so aggressive, so abrasive. It wouldn't hurt if I was with him.

Terror got bored soon enough with just kissing, so his hands ran along my stomach, up to my shirt. I closed my eyes tighter, as though that would make everything stop. He ripped off my uniform, then my sports bra. I shivered, a response to sudden exposure to cold air and utter disgust. As he inspected me, murmured dark, dirty things, I started to run, as far and as fast as I could. I wanted—_needed_—a Wonderland, someplace with friends and laughter and hope.

By the time he was working off the lower half of my uniform, I was already down the rabbit hole.

_Megan's making cookies, and they're not burnt this time and she's so excited. Wally and Zatana are having another debate over magic, and Zatana's obviously winning because she's a magician but Wally's not giving up. Kaldur and Raquel are "sparring," but what they're really doing is flirting because anyone can see that they like each other. Connor is watching the static on the television, and Roy's trying to explain that you're supposed to watch shows with plots and characters, and it's funny because they're both getting agitated but not really. Robin's showing off his acrobatic skills, cackling like normal. _

_ Now Jade's here, and Mom, and Jade is telling me that we might be enemies, but we're sisters first and that she doesn't want me dead, and Mom's telling me I can be more than what's expected, that genetics is not destiny. I'm a hero, _her_ hero. _

"Hey, dude, you here?"

_Of course. Cam. He's here too, because he's my best friend, the only one who has always had my back. He's got that goofy grin on his face, and he's saying that I'm smart and brave and perfect, like he always would whenever I complained about Dad—_

"Jesus Christ, what are you doing?"

Terror stood up, and I tumbled from Wonderland as my body exploded in a throbbing agony. Making himself presentable, he turned around to face Cameron, staring at him wide-eyed and disbelieving. "Finally showed, Ice Cube. Well, you can have a go, if you want. She's real—"

Any further discussion was cut off by an icicle to the face. "You're sick," Cameron growled, finishing his shift to ice form.

Terror sneered, "You're pathetic, you know that?"

"Not as pathetic as you," he objected, a solid wall of ice crashing into the other boy. Terror easily broke it in half, but it distracted him long enough for Cam to launch another icicle, this one at a very appropriate place. As Terror bent over in pain, Cam encased him in ice, layer upon layer until there was no chance he could escape. For good measure, he kicked him in the head, the only part exposed, hard enough to knock him out.

Silence. I was torn between crying his name and just crying.

He slowly resumed normality, his icy covering falling and melting away. His eyes still locked on his opponent, he murmured, "Look, um, I'm not…I'm not going to hurt you, okay? I swear. Do you…uh…want my help? Or, uh, I'll get someone, if you want."

Tears burned the back of my eyes. "Cam."

His body stiffened. "Artemis?"

"I need your help," I said, saying it quickly because if I didn't I was completely going to lose it. "Can you get the chains off my wrists and ankles?"

"Yeah," he replied, turning around. He looked at me only a second before dropping his gaze to the floor. Removing his shirt, he walked my way and draped it over me, covering me as best he could, before freezing the chains and breaking them.

I wasted no time in dressing, jerking on his shirt because Terror had completely destroyed mine. Glancing at Cameron, respectfully concentrating on the opposite wall, I muttered, "It's okay now."

We stared at each other for a moment, then he whispered, "I'm so sorry, Artemis."

His voice was filled with pain, and his icy blue eyes were glistening with tears. That sent me over the edge.

A broken wail escaped me, sounding more animal than human, and I crumbled against him, burying my head in his chest, wonderfully cool against my bruised face. His arms wrapped around me, and it was familiar and comforting and _safe_.

I wept for what felt like hours, until I had no more tears left. Taking a deep, shaky breath, I asked, "Why are you here?"

"Dad teamed me and Terror together," he explained. "This was our rendezvous site. We were supposed to meet up right after the break, but I got backtracked in Virginia." He paused, then continued, "You're…you're gonna be okay, Artemis."

I shook my head and whimpered, "I'm not."

"You will be." Tentatively, he lifted my chin so we were eye-to-eye. "You are the bravest and strongest person I know."

"Then why did I let him do this to me?"

"You didn't let him do anything. He forced you. This is his fault, okay? He hurt you. He made you do it."

"I could have—"

"This is not my fault. Say it."

"Cam—"

"Say. It."

"This is not my fault."

"Now keep saying it until you believe it."

I did as he said. The words began blurring together, becoming one unending chant, a mystic incantation that freed me from myself.

We sat in silence for a while more, then I said, "I need something."

"Anything."

"Don't become your father. Don't be like them."

And he knew I was asking him to break with the villains and join the heroes. I expected some hesitance—he'd never had anyone to counteract the beatings and bitter words he got from his dad—but there was none. "Okay."

"Thank you." My voice was barely audible. God, I wanted so badly to sleep.

Cameron seemed to sense this. "Let's get you home."

He lifted me up, bridal style, and began the long walk. I mumbled my address before slipping in and out of consciousness.

When we got to the apartment, Cam managed to climb up the fire escape and jimmy my bedroom window open. Only then did he let me down.

"I'm gonna shower," I told him, stopping to grab clean clothes. That's when I noticed I was limping.

I blasted the hot water and washed myself over and over again, trying to erase the feeling of his hands and his lips and himself. All I succeeded in was cleaning off all the blood.

Once dressed, I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked the same, except for a swollen nose and a purplish tinge on my right cheek, but I wasn't. I couldn't be. The girl who I used to stare at was cool and strong and brave. This girl, right now, was the opposite. She was weak. So unbelievably weak and pathetic and—

"No," I whispered. Tommy Terror wouldn't break me. I wouldn't let him. I was fricking hero, damn it. I repeated my chant, over and over and over, until I believed it again.

When I walked into my room, the covers were pulled down and my old teddy bear, normally hidden at the top of my closet, was propped on the pillow. Cameron was sitting on Jade's bed.

"How'd you know where my bear was?" I asked, tossing him his shirt.

He shrugged. "You told me before."

And in spite of everything, I felt my lips twitching into a smile. Leave it to him to remember something like that.

As I lay down, Cam came over and tucked me in before gently kissing my forehead. Without me even needing to ask, he went back to Jade's bed. Of course he wouldn't leave me.

"So there's this chick, Alice, right?" His voice was calm and soothing. "And she's all mad at her mom 'cause she wants her to marry some real creepy guy. Or clean her room. Something like that. So she's outside just stewing when this white rabbit comes by, ranting about being late and all, and Alice, well, she's not all that bright, so she thinks it's a good idea to follow him…"

I let his voice carry me to sleep. There would be a lot to worry about the next day—finding some excuse to tell my mom why I came home so late, explaining about the ex-convict-turned hero in my room. Right then, though, reality could be postponed.

Right then, I ran to Wonderland.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed, and sorry for taking so darn long to update. Hope you like it!

On two completely unrelated notes (you can skip, if you want):

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Take a stand for all those who can't speak for themselves. The victims aren't just statistics—they're kids.

My friend's mom is really, really sick, and there's nothing left for the doctors to do. If you could keep her in your prayers, that'd be great.

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice. Just in case you couldn't guess.

_Terror has me pinned, and he's smiling that creepy, God-awful smile. "Yer real pretty," he murmurs, stroking my hair, and I want him to get the Hell off but I'm too scared to say anything. _

_ His hands move lower, lower, lower and I hate him because this is supposed to be _special _and it's not supposed to hurt and why won't it just stop— _

"Artemis!"

I sat straight-up in bed, my heart pounding furiously and my body shaking uncontrollably. Cameron was next to me, wide-eyed with concern. "You…you were dreaming," he explained, moving as though to place his arm around me but then stopping. "You were crying out."

Taking deep, uneven breaths, I finally managed to ask, "I woke you?" That was the last thing I needed, Mom coming in to see if I was okay and finding me and Cameron together.

Blushing, he admitted, "Um, I didn't really sleep last night. I…I wanted to make sure you were okay, and…uh…yeah."

"You stayed awake the whole time?"

He suddenly became fascinated in my floor. "Kinda."

"Wow, that's not creepy at all," I muttered, smiling to let him know I was only joking. The truth was, I liked the thought of him guarding me more than I cared to acknowledge.

Face now blazing crimson, he quickly changed subjects. "So, what's the plan?"

"I'm gonna talk to Mom," I said, standing, trying to ignore the dull pain coursing through me. "Then Green Arrow."

Sending me a cautious glance, he asked gently, "You want me there? When you talk to your mom?"

"I'll be fine," I objected, walking out and down the hallway.

Mom seemed so peaceful when I entered her bedroom, so completely unburdened by the weight of the world, that I felt bad for waking her, but I knew she'd want an explanation for the previous night.

"Hey, Mom," I whispered, kneeling next to her and kissing her on the cheek.

Shifting a bit, she opened her eyes slowly. "Artemis?" She blinked, as though processing, then immediately sat up and threw her arms around me. "Oh, thank God, Artemis. Where were you? Do you know how concerned I was? I stayed up till twelve and you still weren't home. I thought…I don't even _know_ what I thought…Artemis, your face!" Tenderly, she touched my nose, my cheek. "What happened?"

Absentmindedly, I flipped by hand. "Comes with the territory of being a hero, Mom. But that's not why I woke you. See, the reason I came home so late was because I found someone. Remember Cameron?"

"The one you talked to in order to get information about Belle Reve?"

I winced; that was not something I wanted to think about, especially after all that happened. "Well, yeah, but before that? Dad and his dad were friends? We became friends?"

She nodded slowly. "You wrote to me when I was in prison. You told me how sweet he was." The pieces came together. "How did you find him?"

"Apparently, Gotham was his station after the break. I stumbled on his hideout coming back from Star City. He was pissed, at first, realizing what side I was on, but then we got to talking, about old times, when we used to promise we wouldn't become like our dads. I guess he figured that if I could get out, he could get out."

She nodded slowly. "Where is he?"

"My room. He slept in Jade's bed." Getting to my feet, I said, "I'm going to call Ollie, get everything figured out."

As I left, I was surprised at how effortlessly the lie came. Maybe it was because that's how it used to go in my head, in the days right after I became a hero and I kept hoping that I could get Cam to join me. Or maybe it was because that was a Hell of a lot easier to say than the truth.

Cameron watched me as I entered. "Everything…everything alright?"

"'Course." I grabbed my cell phone from the dresser and flipped it open. "I didn't tell her about the rape."

"What? Artemis—"

"Look," I interrupted, closing the phone with an angry snap, "I was never going to tell her. And I'm never _going _to tell her. You don't think she has enough to think about, between Dad and Jade and me and the bills? Besides, it's not like telling her will suddenly make everything okay. This is something I need to handle by myself." After a moment, I added softly, "And with you."

He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. Finally, he just sighed and raised his hands in defeat. "It's your life. I'm game for whatever you decide."

"Thank you." I meant it, too. All I needed was someone in my corner, and I knew Cam wouldn't let me down.

"Now what? My interrogation?"

"Pretty much." I punched in Ollie's number and waited. Right as the answering machine kicked in, he picked up.

"Artemis? Do you know that it's eight thirty on a Saturday?"

"I need to talk to you. In person. Someone wants to join the team."

"Who?"

"Icicle Junior."

There was a long pause. "How did _that_ happen?"

"Long story. Please, can we just meet up and talk about this?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Head to the abandoned building next to the zeta-beam teleporter. I'll be there in half an hour, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. And thanks."

"No problem, kiddo."

As I hung up, Cameron asked, "That was it? You tell him a criminal wants to go good and his reaction is a two-minute phone call?"

Rolling my eyes, I replied, "First of all, we have to meet him in half an hour. Second of all, he knows your record. You're not exactly a major threat to society."

He seemed insulted. "That's just because I haven't had that much time to make my mark!" Realizing exactly what he said, he countered, "I mean, I hadn't had that time when I was a villain, but I'm not now, so... you know what, I'm just gonna stop talking."

"Smart idea." I headed to my closet and grabbed the baggiest clothes I owned—I couldn't shake the need to cover myself as much as possible. Slipping behind the door, I started getting changed. "Look, the story is that I ran into you after I got back from patrol. We talked, one thing led to another, bam, you're a hero."

"Wow, convincing story."

"The sarcasm's not necessary," I told him, stepping out. "Besides, I'm giving you creative leeway."

"How creative do you think I can be when I'm getting grilled?"

"Well, I'm going to finish getting ready," I said, "so think of something."

"Helpful. Really helpful."

Ignoring him, I headed to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't help but look at my reflection.

"Damn it," I hissed, tracing the dark purple bruise that, on close inspection, appeared to be a hand print. Bowing my head, I murmured, "C'mon, Artemis, get over this. You just need to get over this. You've been through worse. You're fine."

As I stared at the mirror, at the girl with the blood-shot eyes and defeated expression, I knew it was a lie. Even after the worst of Dad's training, I could always find myself in my reflection. Now, I was staring at a stranger. No, worse—I was staring at a victim.

Growling, I stomped away in disgust, resisting every urge to punch the glass into a million tiny pieces and rearrange them until I found the girl I recognized.

"Let's go," I told Cam, stopping only long enough to grab a sweatshirt.

"Okay, okay." Quickly following, he muttered, "Sheesh, you're suddenly in a hurry."

"We're gonna be late," I offered, jerking on the hoodie. Pausing at the front door, I called, "We're going, Mom!"

"Let me know when you're getting back, please?"

"I will."

Our walk was pretty boring, other than the perplexed glances we got from the few people actually awake that early on a Saturday—apparently, all the freaks we had in Gotham didn't prepare them for a boy with purple-grey skin and white hair.

"This is it?" Cam muttered, clearly unimpressed with our destination. "This is where you hold top-important hero stuff?"

I just grabbed his hand and dragged him inside. "Look, when he gets here, try not to say anything stupid, okay?"

"That would definitely not work in your favor."

Both of us whirled around. Green Arrow was standing on the metal catwalk that ran around the building. It wasn't him we were really concerned about, though.

"Batman?" Cam chocked.

The Dark Knight's only response was to jump down and land gracefully right in front of us. GA followed suit, chuckling a bit at our reactions.

"I thought it was just going to be him," Cam squeaked, clearly trying to address me but saying it way too loud.

"The Team is under my control," Batman stated simply, his voice the usual monotone. "Now, what exactly happened last night?"

Right to the point. Typical Batman.

Glancing between me and the adults, Cam explained, "See, my rendezvous site was one of the abandoned warehouses, but I got bored and started walking around. I ran into Artemis along the way. Didn't _know _it was her, at first, with her costume and all—"

"Uniform," I hissed.

"Her uniform," he quickly amended. "Anyway, I tried flirting with her, but then she started _talking _and I knew who it was. And I was pretty confused 'cause last time I checked, she was on her way to Belle Reve, too, but then she told me she was playing double agent. Then I was mad 'cause we'd been friends for years and I didn't expect her to betray me like that, even if she was on the other side."

I shifted uncomfortably and kept my eyes concentrated on GA and Batman.

"I should have fought her—I mean, she was the enemy, by all technicalities—but I couldn't; like I said, we'd been friends. Besides, I wasn't really all that surprised she'd gotten out: if anyone could, it'd be her. I was happy for her, actually, 'cause I knew how much she hated doing what her dad made her do.

"So instead of fighting, we were talking, about her life now, away from the family business, and the stupid stuff we used to do together, and all the times we promised we'd never grow up to be our dads. And she was telling me that I could do what she did, that I could change. And I trusted her. And then we're here." When he got no reaction, he offered, "The end?"

Still nothing. Just when I was about to think they saw through everything, GA spoke up. "You're willing to go against your dad and the other ice villains?"

He shrugged. "Practically already did when I handed the first jail break over on a silver platter." Contemplating for a moment, he added, "I don't want to be like them. I'm _not _like them."

GA nodded and turned to Batman. "Well?"

He gave Cam the once-over. After a moment, he said solemnly, "I believe in redemption. If he says he wants to be a hero, I won't hold his past against him, especially considering his…influences."

"So he's on the team?" I asked hopefully.

"Yes." Before we could respond, he proceeded, "But first things first: how much do you know about the plan for this escape?"

"Hm." Narrowing his eyes in concentration, he explained, "Okay, so there are a couple of stages. Stage One is for all the guys who got sent west to start attacking. It's the brainiacs like Ivo, so they're going to do all that mechanics stuff and let loose. They're in the really obscure states, like Nebraska and the Dakotas, 'cause they're really the distraction for Stage Two. While you guys are all in the west, the Stage Two guys are going to attack the major cities on the east coast. And when you're dealing with _that_, the Stage Three guys go into action. They're attacking D.C. And all the big guys from that group, like my dad and Brick and Vertigo, they're going after the White House. Supposed to take down some diplomat or something."

"North Realasia is sending their diplomat in a week to discuss the ban on nuclear testing," GA said slowly. "If he gets killed—"

"We're at war with North Realasia," Batman finished. "Do you know any specific locations or dates?"

"Stage One starts in five days. Stage Two starts day right after, Stage Three day after that. I don't know any specifics other than D.C., but apparently all the locations were based on triangles or something."

He nodded. "Let's go."

Cameron blinked in confusion at the retreating figure. GA just laughed. "That's Bat for "You're going to meet the team." Don't worry, you'll catch on."

With that, he too left. As me and Cameron followed, I asked in a whisper, "You remembered those promises?"

"'Course," he replied. "Thought about them every day." He looked away. "I really wanted to keep them."

"You did."

"Only because of you."

"That's not true. You'd have done it, one way or the other."

He wasn't convinced, I could tell, and I wanted to talk to him more about this, but we were already outside and Batman and Green Arrow were watching us, so I let the matter drop.

Batman wasted no time. Gesturing to the abandoned telephone booth, he explained, "Zeta-beam transporter. It's usually one at a time, but you're not a registered member, so I'll have to override the system. Get in."

Cameron did as he was told, though he clearly wasn't liking the whole idea. On an impulse, I crammed in with him, right before Batman. For a brief second, I could've sworn he looked surprised, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in evoking some emotion from _the_ Batman.

As he played with the computer, I glanced with Cameron. His jaw was clenched tightly, and he was digging his nails into his palms. I'd never seen him so nervous before. Gently, I took his hand in mine, and he glanced at me and smiled.

That's when Batman said, "Override, Batman, 0-2," and we were gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own _Young Justice_. If I did, the second season wouldn't have jumped five years into the future.

As soon as the computer finished announcing our arrival, Batman addressed me: "You know where the Team is."

I nodded; Combat Practice was starting in five minutes. Wordlessly, I led Cameron toward the training room, my heart quickening just a bit with each step. It was stupid, really—the others knew my dad was Sportsmaster and was sister was Cheshire, definitely higher up in the villain hierarchy than Icicle Junior—but the thought of introducing them to Cam was nerve-wracking. Only when we were right outside the room and I noticed his hand was still grasped in mine did I realize why I was so concerned.

Retracting, I opened the doors and stepped inside. Connor and Robin had gotten a head-start and were sparring. The rest of the Team was watching, completely oblivious to us.

Robin dodged one of Connor's punches, and as the Boy of Steel redirected himself to face his opponent, he got sight of us and stopped dead. "Junior?"

Everyone whipped around to face us, but before I could explain anything, Wally was next to me in a heartbeat, grinning like crazy.

"Way to go, Artemis!" he congratulated. "I can't believe you caught one of the escapees from Belle Reve."

"I—" I tried to interject, but by now, the situation was out of my hands.

"Dibs interrogation!" shouted Robin.

"You probably get to do that all the time," protested Raquel. "Let one of us newbies have a crack at it."

"I could always just use a truth spell," Zatanna pointed out.

"Or I could read his mind," Megan offered."

Wally rolled his eyes. "No fun in that."

"Guys—"

"I believe it would only be fair that Artemis be the one to interrogate him," Kaldur proposed.

Wally wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "We'll do it together, babe. Power couple."

"Couple?" Cameron repeated. "You're dating the banana?"

Silence settled as Wally glared at Cam, suddenly calm. "Shut your mouth, before I shut it for you."

Cam grinned. "Bring it."

"Wait!" I objected, stepping in front of him just as Wally seemed ready to attack. "Don't."

"Why not?"

"Because he's your new teammate," Batman explained. Considering the fact that he and Green Arrow had been standing there the whole time and had yet to intervene, they had very warped senses of humor.

Connor and Wally reacted simultaneously. As Connor smiled and said, "Cool," Wally's jaw practically dislocated, and he sputtered incoherently for a few moments.

"I think you broke him," muttered Cam.

Apparently, this was enough to snap Wally out of it, because he collected himself, angrily crossed his arms over his chest, and declared, "No way. We are not having a criminal on this team."

"Last time I checked, that was not your decision to make," Batman stated coolly.

Sizing up the situation, Wally opted for a different approach. "Well, it's not like we know anything about him; we can't just let him join the Team."

Gathering my courage, I jumped in. "I know him. My dad and his dad were…colleagues. We were—we _are_ friends. And I know he's too good to be one of the bad guys. Letting him join is basically the same thing as letting me join."

"It's _totally_ different. It's not like we knew about your past when you joined."

"Would that have made a difference?"

"Of course!" From the look on my face, he knew that was the wrong answer. "Not. Of course _not_. What I mean is…well, he has a record, right? _You _don't have a record."

"Just because it's not written down doesn't mean I've done nothing wrong."

My tone silenced him, long enough for Robin to bring up something on his wrist-computer. "From the looks of it, he doesn't have much of a record. Only incident of villainous activity occurred on the Fourth of July, and all that amounted to was property damage and disturbing the peace."

Raquel planted her hands on her hips. "That's it? I did worse when I was getting my powers under control. You can't really hold that against him."

"So you're okay with a criminal on the Team?" Wally demanded.

"Far as I can tell, you're the only one who's _not_."

"C'mon, someone else has to be opposed to this." He glanced around the room, waiting for someone to jump on board with him. "Really? No one else? I'm alone here? Really?"

"If Artemis trusts him, then I trust him," Kaldur said firmly. "Besides, it is not our place to judge others on their past, or their family ties."

"But he's the son of a major villain!"

Before I could point out that I was the daughter of _two_ major villains, Connor stepped forward, growling, "So he was born to be evil? That's what you're saying?"

"Yes!" It suddenly registered what he was saying and to whom he was saying it. "No! No no no no no no no. That's not it at all. It's just…I mean…"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Connor deadpanned, "He's not evil."

"And you would know _how_?"

"We were cellmates, remember?"

"So?"

"_So _he wasn't like those other idiots there. Besides, he stopped me from shattering M'gann when she was frozen by Frost."

"So? He thought you were a villain. It's like a villain code or something."

"But Frost thought I was a villain, too," Megan piped up. "And she still tried to kill me."

"What's your point?"

God, Wally was so dense sometimes.

"The _point_," I began, trying to keep my patience, "is that Cam isn't some sort of sadist. He doesn't like the thought of people being hurt."

"But he. Is. A. Villain," Wally reiterated, as though pausing after each word would suddenly help us understand everything.

"It doesn't count if his dad forced him to do it," I protested, gritting my teeth. "He's been getting trained since he was eight. It's all he's ever known. The fact that he's not like the rest of them proves he's meant to be a hero."

Just as Wally opened his mouth again, Zatanna interrupted, "Look, this is getting ridiculous. There is no real reason for him not to be on the Team. So he's got a sketchy history. Whatever. None of us are perfect. Besides, if he wants to make up for whatever his dad made him do, then we shouldn't stand in his way. And I _swear _if you try to argue anymore I will make sure you don't talk for a week."

Cam let out a low whistle. "I like her."

She turned to him and smiled. "Thanks. I'm Zatanna."

"Cameron. Or Icicle Junior, depending."

"If you're gonna be a hero, we're going to have to change that." Scrutinizing him, Robin offered, "How about Glacier?"

"I think we should go with Iceberg," Raquel proposed.

"Iceberg?" Cam made a face.

"Hey, it took down the Titanic."

"We should consider names later, once he has time to settle in." Kaldur offered his hand. "Welcome to the Team."

As he and Cam shook, Wally, who'd been watching this scene with a hanging jaw and utter disbelief, suddenly snapped his fingers and shouted, "I got it!"

Before we had a chance to ask, he was zooming out of the room.

Green Arrow chuckled. "He's a die-hard, isn't he?"

"Something like that," Robin muttered. Turning to his mentor, he mused, "I'm surprised you let this whole thing go on for so long."

"The Team may be under my supervision, but you are the ones who work together. You should be able to work things out without my interference."

"Besides, this was a lot more entertaining," GA added.

"Come on, boy!" Wally was practically dragging a very reluctant Wolf into the arena.

"What are you doing?" Connor demanded, clearly upset over the treatment of his pet.

"Dogs are the best judges of character," Wally stated. "If I can't convince you that he shouldn't be on the Team, Wolf will."

"Exactly what scientific test proves that dogs are the best judges of character?" Zatanna asked snidely.

Ignoring her, Wally gestured wildly to Cameron. "Go get him, boy! Sic 'em! C'mon, you know you want to!"

Ears flattened to his skull, teeth bared, Wolf stalked toward the cyrokinetic. Paling, Cam dropped to his knees and spread his arms. "Hey there, boy. You're a good boy, right? You don't want to hurt me, right? I bet you're just a big softie. A big softie with giant teeth and claws who can totally kill me in three-and-a-half seconds."

Stopping in front of his target, Wolf sniffed him hesitantly before dropping on to his haunches and cocking his head to the side. After a moment, he began licking Cam's face.

Wally groaned and face-palmed while the rest of us cracked up.

"I guess that means you're officially part of the Team," Connor said, grinning and fist-bumping Cameron.

Robin, actually on the floor from laughing so hard, paused just long enough to ask, "Since when did Connor know how to fist-bump?"

So maybe it seems weird that everyone on the Team but Wally was alright with Cam joining, but here's how I worked it out: Connor would be all for it, considering their bonding over daddy issues. Robin knew who Artemis was and really didn't care, so Cam wouldn't be that different. Kaldur seems so calm and collected about everything, so he'd take it in stride, especially because Batman and Green Arrow are supporting it. Megan, Raquel, and Zatanna really have no reason to be against him, and if Artemis says she's for him joining, they would trust her judgment. Hopefully, that makes sense.

Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: I first want to apologize for having absolutely no clear updating schedule; it's crunch time in school, plus AP tests and SATs and all that other fun stuff. I second want to thank all those who've read and/or reviewed. And third, my friend's mom is really, really sick. She's in hospice, which is the point of no return: all they can do is make her comfortable. If you could keep her and her family in your prayers, that'd be great.

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own this show because Junior is portrayed as a villain for next episode when he should CLEARLY be a good guy and I swear if Megan does anything to his brain I will jump through the television and KILL HER… sorry, I'm better now.

I raced into my first block class, getting into my seat just as the late bell rang. Busying myself with flipping through blank sheets of notebook paper, I managed to ignore the stares of the other students as they observed my swollen nose and bruised cheek, pathetically hidden under too-little cover up. No doubt rumors would spread about my home life—after all, I was a scholarship girl coming from the rough part of Gotham. It was the least of my worries, though, compared to everything else.

The weekend had been less than asterous. Once Cam had been given a tour of the Cave, (accompanied by snarky comments from Wally every four minutes), Robin and Connor took him to the mall because even guys need more than one outfit. That left me to deal with Wally's insistent and completely unnecessary questions about all of Cam's history and our times together. Finally, I couldn't take anymore and practically bit his head off, which resulted in him giving me the biggest puppy-dog eyes I have ever seen. And I tried to make it better by kissing him, but as soon as our lips were together, it wasn't Wally but Terror. I pulled away quickly, only adding to Wally's insecurity issues, and, of course, just as he was reaming me out, the trio came back. Cam immediately jumped to my defense, and the two got into a shouting match that would have turned into a brawl had Connor not intervened. By then, the whole Team had come to see what the heck was going on.

Megan, always the peace keeper, proposed we watch a movie, a sort of "team bonding." It actually worked, and all was well and good until Wally kept nudging me to cuddle, and I did, struggling just to keep myself from shaking because even though it was obviously _Wally_, who cared about me and would never do anything to hurt me, my body and my heart could only associate such closeness with _Terror_. Seeming to sense my discomfort, Cam made a joke about PDA, and Wally completely overreacted, resulting in another scream-off and me going home in a huff. I wanted nothing more than just to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes, I was back in that warehouse, trapped and helpless and waiting for Terror to do whatever he wanted to do. I got a max of two hours that night and spent Sunday as a zombie, running on autopilot and barely answering any of Wally's texts, all of which asked for my forgiveness. My guilt over that certainly didn't help me sleep Sunday night, which is why I managed to only doze off at five in the morning and oversleep for school.

"Artemis?"

I snapped to attention. Jimmy, the kid in front of me, was turned around, holding packets in his hand. Giving me a concerned look, he said, "The test."

_Test? Oh, crap_.

Taking the papers, I passed them back and glanced over the first page. In all honesty, it shouldn't have been _that_ bad—it was only World War II and the events leading up to it, something we'd been taught since elementary school. However, this was World War II from an AP Euro standpoint, so all my knowledge on the Arsenal of Democracy and Sink on Sight and Eisenhower meant diddly. Instead, I had to know which country lost the largest Jewish population, who the Hell ran the Vichy government, and what color shirt went with which psycho dictator's followers. For the first time in my life, turning the test in blank seemed like a possibility.

Once class was over and we were heading out, Bette came by my side. "Hey, Artemis, how'd you think it was?"

"Well, I know I got two right," I joked. What I didn't say was that the two answers were the Rape of Nanking and the Rape of Ethiopia.

She laughed. "Yeah, right, Miss Lowest-Grade-is-a-Ninety-Three. You have to have more confidence." Growing serious, she gave me a long look. "You okay?"

"Fine," I said, quickening my pace. "Just fine."

Biting her lip, as though unconvinced, she murmured, "I gotta get to Spanish. If you ever need anything, I'm here."

I forced myself to smile, hoping it appeared more authentic than I thought it was. "I know. Thanks."

As she took a left turn down the nearest hallway, I continued straight until I reached the gym. I hated this class with a passion—the uniforms were hideous, and no one actually tried. Essentially, it was a waste of an hour and a half.

"Listen up, everyone!" Ms. Enderson boomed. "I want you to get changed as quickly as possible—yes, I'm talking to _you_, ladies; you do not need to reapply your makeup for gym. I need to watch the PE 11/12 class until their sub shows, so I probably won't be here in the auxiliary gym when you come down. I expect _all_ of you to be the mature young-adults you're supposed to be; if not, there are ten laps around the track in your future."

Sending up a simultaneous moan of annoyance, we left for our respective locker rooms. As the other girls clustered together and talked about their weekends, I headed straight to my locker and jerked it open. I stared at my uniform, then the other girls, then down at my body. I didn't want them to see me change. I never wanted anyone to look at me again.

Grabbing my stuff, I walked to the bathroom, eyes concentrated on the floor. It was a stupid move—there was some unspoken yet well-known rule that you just _didn't _get changed in the bathroom, not in high school—but I didn't care.

When I'd finished, I shoved my school uniform into the locker and slammed it shut, hurrying downstairs so I could pretend the sudden whispers had nothing to do with me.

"Hey, hey, hey, Arty," greeted Max, one of the biggest jackasses in our grade. "Ready to play with us big boys?"

His gang whistled and joined in his catcalls. I flipped them off and walked to grab a basketball from the cart.

"Aw, c'mon." He was behind me, close, uncomfortably close. "Wassamatter, girly? Too much man for you?"

"Screw you," I hissed, hoping that Ms. Enderson, or even another girl, walked in.

"Aw, don't be like that," he protested, "I just wanna play. It ain't a big deal."

"Back off."

"Whatever you say. See ya, Arty."

That's when he slapped my ass.

As his friends laughed, I felt my face burn and tears itch the back of my eyes. That bastard. That fricking bastard—

Whirling around, I threw myself at him, knocking him to the ground. A sickening, satisfying _thud_ greeted my ears as his head smashed against the floor. As he took a gasping breath, I punched him, shrieking, "Don't ever do that again!" I shifted my knee, making sure I hit him where it would hurt the most. He let out a mixture between a squeal and a whimper, and I felt a rush of adrenaline. I was in control; I had the power.

Strong arms grabbed my shoulders and yanked me from my victim. As I struggled, two kids helped Max to his feet. The one glared at me and spat, "You're such a bitch."

"Trash like you doesn't belong here," the other added. "When Enderson hears about this—"

"She's not going to."

Dick Grayson was walking over to us, arms crossed over his chest.

My captor let me go and stared down at the freshman. Sneering, he demanded, "What the Hell is that supposed to mean, Circus Freak?"

"Max sexually harassed her. She was fighting in self-defense. If anything, he'll be the one getting suspended, if not expelled."

"Bull," he replied, but I saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "Besides, it's us four verse you two. Who do you think they'll believe?"

The kid flashed a cocky grin, and I have to admit, I was impressed with his confidence, facing three boys that could clearly take him in a fight. "How much of a chance are you willing to take?"

"Forget it," barked Max, shaking his friends off and rectifying himself. "We don't stand a chance against the Prince of Gotham's charity case." He walked away from us, his friends following, but stopped long enough to add, "You better watch, twerp—you never know if you'll have an accident like your parents did."

The kid just rolled his eyes and addressed me: "They're such idiots."

"You bet," I muttered quietly.

There was a moment of silence. Scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably, Dick asked, "Are you…are you alright?"

"Just fine."

"You sure?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

I shouldn't have sounded so mean, but I did not feel like getting a pity-party from someone I barely knew.

Shrugging, he said, "I know what it feels like to get bullied."

I winced at how matter-of-factly he offered that information. "Yeah, I'm okay. It's just… I've got some crap going on right now, and that didn't help anything." After a moment, I added, "Thanks for having my back."

"No problem." He flashed me a smile. "Sick fight, by the way. Very impressive."

"Thanks," I murmured. For some reason, that simple statement seemed to lift a weight off of me. I was a fighter; I could get through this. I was going to be okay.

I carried that mindset with me for the entire day, until I checked my Euro grade online. 25%. 20 out of 80 correct. And it sunk in that I wasn't going to be okay. Not for a long, long time.

Robin/ Artemis friendship fluff? How'd that get in there?


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: If you saw _Beneath_, you know I have absolutely zero control over this show.

Chapter 5

I shifted slightly in my position on the rooftop, blinking rapidly to keep myself focused. Patrolling on two-and-a-half hours of sleep was not a good idea, but it was unavoidable. Terror was screwing with my personal life enough; I wasn't going to let him interfere with my hero life.

As my eyelids drooped for the umpteenth time, however, I grudging, bitterly, _hatefully_ realized that he already had.

_Maybe if you just got some damn sleep_, I chided myself, biting my lip. The sudden pain jolted me into alertness. _Just put the rape out of your mind and sleep and everything would be fine._

But I couldn't do that. I knew, though I would never admit it, that my only chance at rest was through Wonderland, and my only way to get there was currently residing at the Cave, trying to adapt to being one of the good guys.

"Artemis?"

Green Arrow's voice yanked me from my thoughts. On an impulse, I notched by bow and turned toward him.

Putting his hands up in surrender, he chuckled softly. "I know it's been a pretty boring night, but that doesn't mean you have to go after me."

"Sorry," I muttered, lowering my weapon. "You just… startled me. I was zoning out."

Giving me a knowing grin, he proposed, "Boy troubles?"

I opened my mouth to protest, then thought better of it and mumbled, "Maybe."

"I hear you're mad at Wally."

"Where'd you hear that from?"

"Barry. Says Wally's really upset over it. He got a 90 on his chemistry test."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Oh my God, a 90. It's a sign of the apocalypse."

"This is _Wally_, remember? The kid who duplicated the Flash's super-complicated experiment? Chemistry's his thing."

"It's just one test."

"That's not all. He hasn't been eating, either."

"Okay, that I know is a lie."

Shrugging, he admitted, "Fine, he hasn't stopped eating, _but _he's only eating as much as a normal person. Practically the same thing in a speedster's case."

I began playing with my bow, hoping that concentrating on that would alleviate the onslaught of guilt. It didn't.

Sighing, I murmured, "I'm not really mad at him anymore."

"Hmm, I may not be a teenager, but I'm pretty sure answering all his texts with one word is an indication of anger."

"I just don't know what to say to him, okay? I'm angry over how he treated Cam, but if I bring him up, Wally will just flip out again and we're back to where we were Saturday."

"How can you be so sure?"

"You heard him, and that was him being _friendly _compared to the stuff he was saying after you and Bats left."

"So he was jealous. You should take that as a compliment; it means Wally really cares about you."

"He still acted like a total jerk."

"Listen, Artemis." Green Arrow knelt to my height, so we were perfectly eye-to-eye. "I'm going to let you in on a secret about the male population: we're idiots. We say stupid things and we do stupid things. It's not like we do it on _purpose _or anything, it's just that we lack mental restraint. We run on gut instincts, which, more often than not, completely conflict with how women want us to act.

"In Wally's mind, Cameron was a threat." I opened my mouth to object, but GA continued, "Even though he obviously wasn't. As males, we act first, contemplate later. And even _then _we don't always get it."

I pursed my lips. "So you're saying that, even now, Wally might think Cam is a threat?"

"Oh, he definitely will."

I threw my hands up in exasperation. "What?"

"It's going to take a while for Wally to get use to you having been friends with a boy for years, especially if he's going to have to deal with said boy on a regular basis. It takes time for us to process emotional stuff. You just have to let him be stupid and continually point out that you and Cam are nothing more than friends. Trust me, it'll eventually sink in."

"So basically I have to ride out this period of stupidity. There's nothing I can do to speed up this process?"

"Tomorrow's Friday. Go on a date. Emphasize the fact that you're his girlfriend and he's your boyfriend."

I cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you'd discourage me from dating."

"Why would I do that? I know Wally, I trust him enough. It's not like you two are…" His face fell a bit. "I mean, you two aren't… you can't…"

"We're not having sex, if that's what you're trying to ask."

He let out a nervous laugh. "Good. You shouldn't. Well, not you shouldn't do it _ever_, but after you're married. Okay, maybe not _married_, but you have to know the guy…no, no, you have to be married. Because besides being stupid, we men are jerks, and most of us only want one thing. And you need a guy—"

"How's Cam doing at school?" I interjected, because this was not the conversation I needed, especially not now and not with Green Arrow.

Standing up, he sighed and murmured, "He's not at school."

I just stared at him. "Why not?"

"We gave him a placement test on Tuesday, to see what level he was at. He excelled in reading and writing, but he was way below an eleventh-grade standard for everything else. He knows basic historical knowledge, but he can't make connections or analysis situations; he only understands bare-minimum in science, almost solely biology; and he struggles with algebra."

"What does that all mean?" I asked.

"He's functioning at a sixth-grade level. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, considering his dad pulled him out of school in sixth grade. Actually, it's pretty impressive, him being able to remember any of it, but we can't just plop him into high school."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Probably get him a tutor. We'll figure something out."

"How'd Cam take it?"

Shaking his head sadly, he explained, "He looked upset. Really upset. I tried to play it off like it wasn't a big deal, but I don't think that helped." After a moment, he added, "Afterwards, he went straight to his room. I checked with Connor; he didn't come out the rest of the night, not even to eat. You know why he'd react this way?"

I just shrugged. It wasn't my place to say that one of Joar's favorite words to describe his son was _stupid_.

Thankfully, there was no time for Green Arrow to push for an answer because a piercing scream sounded below us. Racing to the edge of the building, I saw a man pushing a woman against a wall, his hand on her throat. A knife glistened menacingly. I was reaching for a trick arrow—one that would release a net—when his hand slid from her throat to her chest. Screw the trick arrow; I went for the real deal.

When the steel met his shoulder, he howled in pain and pulled away, taking off down the alley. I followed through with a second arrow to the back of his knee. He went down with a strangled screech.

Green Arrow glanced at me, clearly questioning my choice of weapons, but I ignored him and scaled down the building. The woman approached me, tears glistening in her eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," I murmured, staring at the wall behind her. I didn't want to see her like this, shaky and terrified. That's what I would have looked like when Cameron found me, only a hundred times worse. I didn't want to think about that. "I can help you home, if you'd like."

She nodded gratefully. Turning back to Green Arrow, I called, "I'll be right back."

We walked silently, side by side, for a couple of blocks. At every little sound, she jumped, then stared at the ground, shame-faced. After the fifth time, I murmured, "It's okay to be scared. You were just attacked. It's normal."

"But he didn't even do anything to me," she objected. "Compared to what he could have done, what he was going to do…"

Her voice got choked up, and she allowed the thought to die.

"You're going to be alright," I told her. "Everything is going to be fine."

Taking a shaky breath, she offered a smile, far too small and far too forced. I wondered, almost subconsciously, if that's what my smiles looked like. Nodding to the apartment we were in front of, she explained, "This is it. Thanks again."

"You're welcome." I felt like I should have added more, done something else, but I didn't, just switched directions and headed back to the alleyway.

"I oughta sue!" were the first words that greeted me.

The creep was securely tied up, his hands bound behind his back. There was some sick pleasure in seeing the blood on his shirt.

Ignoring him, I addressed Green Arrow: "Cops coming?"

"On their way."

"Screw the cops, I need a medic!"

"Stop complaining," I spat. "You're lucky all you have are those two scratches."

"Scratches? They're gaping wounds!"

"Suck it up."

"You fricking bitch. I oughta teach you a lesson—"

Growling, I delivered a solid round-house kick to his head. His eyes widen for a second before snapping shut. He slumped to the ground.

"You're in an…aggressive mood tonight," Green Arrow commented quietly. Maybe he meant it jokingly, but I could hear warning and concern in his voice.

"You know what he was planning to do to that girl. He deserved it."

"Maybe so, but we're heroes, not vigilantes. We have to be careful of that line."

"Sorry," I muttered. "It's just…thinking about what he could have done…"

He gently placed a hand on my shoulder. I resisted the urge to flinch. "I know. I know."

_No, you don't. You have no clue._

Once the cops arrived, we took off in the direction of the zeta-beam transporter. "You did good tonight, Artemis," Green Arrow told me.

"Even though I crossed the hero-vigilante line?"

"We all have, at one point or another. Besides, the guy really did deserve it. Just don't tell anyone I said that; the rest of the League is pretty touchy about this kind of stuff."

"Deal," I promised, stepping into the abandoned telephone booth.

"Oh, one more thing—think about getting a winter uniform."

When I shot him an inquisitive look, he explained, "You've had your arms wrapped around your stomach for most of the night. We probably should of thought about winter when we designed it, huh?"

I just nodded and smiled, but I knew it was far too small and far too forced. "I'll get on it."

As soon as I was back in Gotham, I marched home, quaking with rage. I hadn't even known I'd been covering myself, but I knew it wasn't because of the February winds; I'd been trying to shield myself, hid myself. I was still uncomfortable in my own skin. Just another way Terror was messing with me.

Enough was enough. When I was in the house, the first thing I did was grab my cell phone and text Wally that we had a date for the next day.

Yes, Wally/Artemis interaction in the next chapter! Plus, Cameron/Artemis interaction. Hmm, how will that go?

Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

AN: To those who have been praying for my friend's mom, thank you. She passed away last Saturday, peacefully, after a long battle with ovarian cancer. If you could still keep her and my friend's family in your thoughts, that'd be really appreciated.

Disclaimer: If you Google search it and something comes up, I don't own it.

Chapter 6

I stared at the clothes in my closet, scowling to myself and trying to figure out what to wear. It was a lot harder than it should have been—not only was I accustomed to throwing on a uniform, for both school and patrol, but I really wanted nothing more than to just wear sweats. That, of course, was out of the question, at least until I was dating Wally for a year.

"Tight jeans, baggy shirt," I mused, "or loose pants, tight top."

I ran my finger along a pair of navy blue hip-huggers. They used to be my favorite pair. I used to feel so…beautiful in them. Confident.

"About time I got that feeling back," I muttered, pulling them off their hanger. After a moment, I settled on a flowy, faded-green shirt and Wally's _Science Olympiad _hoodie.

After I was dressed and finishing my make-up, the doorbell rang. My heart suddenly began beating twice as fast as normal, and I was second-guessing this date.

_No. You care about Wally. You want to spend time with him. You will _not_ let Terror screw up this relationship._

Shaking my head, forcing away the hesitance, the fear, I ran out of my room, screaming to my mom, "I've got it!"

When I opened the door, I was assaulted by a bouquet of red roses and "I''tbemadanymoreI—"

"Wally!"

He stopped dead.

"I'm not angry at you."

A grin crossed his face. "Really?"

"Promise." I turned my attention to the roses. Most had petals that were limp and skewed, but a few, the ones in the very center, were perfect.

Scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably, he hastily explained, "Flowers don't hold up so well when you're running at the speed of sound. Sorry."

"No. I love them." I smiled, and, for the first time in a long time, it felt genuine. "I'll put them in water. You wanna come in for a second?"

He nodded and followed me inside. While I got a vase ready, I asked, "So, what are we going to do tonight?"

Shrugging, he replied, "Dinner and a movie, maybe walk around that new park Central City."

Central City? The glass almost slid from my hands. Unless he planned on taking three buses, the only way to get there from Gotham was if he ran. If he carried me.

"We could…" I bit back the rest of that sentence, the _we could stay in Gotham_. There was nothing to do here, not to mention it was a whole lot more dangerous. Besides, I was tired of altering my life because of a scumbag criminal.

"We could what?"

"Never mind. Let's go."

As we walked from the kitchen to the front door, I snuck glances at Wally, etching every aspect of him into my mind. Red hair, not blonde. Eyes that were bright, warm jade, not lustful steely blue. A gentle face splashed with freckles, not pale and angry. A lax kind of walk, not determined, commanding, intimidating. A warm smile, not wolfish or threatening.

"You ready?"

A kind voice, one that would never curse at me, degrade me.

"Of course."

He picked me up. I stiffened but forced myself to relax because his hands were considerate, would not grope or prod or grab, would never, in any way, hurt me. And as we ran, I allowed myself a laugh of relief, one that was captured and dispersed by the wind: Wally was not Terror.

Once we were in Central City and Wally was just about to put me down, I kissed him, just like our first kiss on New Year's Day. He didn't protest.

"What was that for?" he questioned once we pulled away. "Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"Just because," I offered teasingly, entwining my fingers with his. "Now, where are we going for dinner?"

"Your favorite."

"Mexican?"

He froze for a second, then offered me a sheepish smile. "Uh, your second favorite."

"Italian?"

"Bingo."

He led me to La Grolla, a high-end, high-class restaurant that was only in price range for us because Barry somehow knew the owners. While the other customers—middle-aged and up—sat straight-back in their seats, talking in monotone voices and never showing any enjoyment whatsoever, Wally and I cracked stupid jokes, talked about school and our "extra curricular," and tried to sneak food off each other's plate. Every dirty or disdainful look we got just made us laugh.

"Best dinner _ever_," I told him as we were leaving, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Really?" The excitement in his voice was unmistakable. Seeming to catch himself, he cleared his throat a bit and said, nonchalantly, "Well, that's just the start. C'mon, babe."

We ended up seeing a crappy horror movie, the kind that was so awful it was more comedic than scary. Instead of making fun of it, though, I screamed at the right parts, jumped at the right parts, grabbed onto Wally at the right parts. There was something comforting in him being the strong one, protecting me. It was the same kind of feeling I experienced when I'd learned Cam had been watching me that first night. I quickly shoved _that _thought out of my mind—I couldn't compare Wally to Cam, not even to myself, not without opening a can of worms.

To kill time afterwards, we headed to the park and walked along the path, hand in hand. It was practically a scene straight out of a cheesy romance novel, and for some inexplicable reason, I liked that. Maybe because romance meant actually caring about the person you were with, beyond physical attraction, beyond just sex.

When Wally took me home, I kissed him goodnight and turned to walk inside, but he grabbed my hand. "Wait."

I stopped and faced him, panic gnawing at me.

"Look, um, I know you say you're not mad anymore, but I feel like I should explain why I was so pissed. I mean, uh, well, it's stupid, I know, acting like that, because he was, is, just your friend, but just seeing you together…I don't even know. The thought of losing you…I can't, because I really, really do care about you and I need you and…and…uh, this was one of those things that sounded better in my head, wasn't it? I'm sor—"

My lips silenced him. "No, Wally," I whispered. "It sounded just fine. Thank you."

He immediately seemed relieved. "No problem, babe. See you tomorrow. Night."

"Goodnight."

I walked inside, unable to keep myself from beaming.

"How was it, Artemis?"

"Great, Mom," I replied, heading to the bathroom to wash off my makeup and brush my teeth. I added quietly, "Everything is perfect."

_Perfect? _a voice in the back of my mind sneered. _That's a bold-faced lie. You still can't even look yourself in the mirror. You're not over what Terror did to you, and you never will be.  
_"Shut up," I hissed. God, I was talking to myself.

_It's true. And when you try to sleep tonight, you'll be back in the warehouse and Terror will be raping you. Nothing's changed. Not really._

The thought struck me like a physical blow. Licking my lips in frustration, I made an impulse decision.

I went to Mom's room. She was already in bed, reading. "Me and Wally are going to spend the night at the Cave, okay?"

"You are?" Putting the book down, she turned her attention to me. "Why?"

"Just because. More time to spend together. Please?"

She sighed. "Alright."

"Thanks, Mom. Love you."

She blinked in surprise—we weren't a very "express your feelings" kind of family—but then she smiled. "I love you, too, Artemis."

As soon as I was out of the house, I booked it to the zeta-beam transporter. Only after I was on my way to the Cave did I contemplate the possibility that Megan and Connor would also be there.

_Please let them be on a date. Please, let it just be Cameron._

What I found was an…interesting sight. Cam was, thankfully, by himself in the living room, open books scattered around him. The television was on—some documentary about wolves—but he seemed more focused on _Biology for Beginners_. A plate of burnt cookies was to his right while Wolf was on his left, contently using his lap as a pillow.

"Uh, Cam?"

He didn't even glance at me. "Hey Artemis. Wanna cookie? Megan made me a whole plate."

"No thanks. I like mine golden, not black."

"Eh, they're not so bad. Lot better than prison food."

"Her and Connor went out, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah. Megan invited me to go with them, but I'm not into being the third wheel. Plus, after seeing their weird twin-kiss back at Belle Reve, I can't really be alone with them without gagging a bit."

"So you've been doing this all night? Exciting way to spend a Friday."

"It's not like I have a list of friends I can call up."

"You have me."

Finally looking up, he cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, and then Banana Boy would have a conniption and challenge me to a duel." Scrutinizing me for a moment, he asked, "You and him went on a date, didn't you?"

"How'd you know?"

"Your hair's down. You never wear it down. Plus you have his sweatshirt on."

I didn't want to talk about Wally, not yet, so I changed the subject. "What's with the show?"

"What? Oh. Wolf chose it."

"Wolf?"

"Yeah. I was flipping through and when we got to this, he barked. Probably reminds him of his pack." Rubbing the canine's belly, he continued, "Besides, I'm not really watching it, anyway."

"You were assigned all that stuff by your tutor?"

Shaking his head, he explained, "Doing this on my own time. Maybe if I can my act together, I won't need one." After a moment, he asked, "So Green Arrow told you how stupid I am?"

"You're not stupid," I protested, moving the plate so I could sit next to him.

He shook his head. "Six grade level, Artemis. Sixth."

"That's the grade your dad took you out of school. What did you expect?"

"Me to be smarter than that."

"Those tests don't measure your intelligence, Cam. Not really. So you can't jump straight into a high-school class after being out of school for five years. So what? You _are _smart."

Shaking his head again, a sign that he was done with this topic, he softly questioned, "How are you doing?"

"Fine," I replied, faster than I should have.

"For real, Artemis."

"For real." I avoided his eyes. "I'm fine."

Tenderly, he took my chin in his hand and tilted my head, forcing eye contact. "We've been friends for how long now? I know when you're lying. So what's wrong?"

Unable to hold it in any longer, I told him everything..

When I was finished, he enveloped me in a hug and murmured, "Oh, man, Artemis, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," I muttered, welcoming the embrace.

"Look, I really think you need to tell someone. I know you don't want to, but—"

"No buts. You and me only."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay. Okay. Is there anything I can do?"

I hesitated; no matter how I said this, it was going to sound dumb. "You know how you talked me to sleep that night? Could you…could you do that tonight? Just talk to me. You can't stay in my room all night, obviously, but can you be there till I fall asleep? Please?"

"Of course." Maneuvering himself from under Wolf, he stood and walked me to my room. Grabbing a pair of sweatpants that I kept in my drawer, I went to the walk-in closet to get changed.

_You can't have two Prince Charmings, you know_, the voice spat contemptuously. _Wally or Cam, not both_.

_It's not the same thing_. I tried rationalizing it. _How I feel about Wally is not the same as how I feel about Cam. Cam is nothing more than a friend. He just knows me better, knows this situation._

_ So you're using him. You didn't give a crap about him while he was wasting away in Belle Reve when you _knew_ he should have been transferred to a juvenile facility. He's only your friend now because you need him. Don't worry, though—he's been being used by everyone for years._

"Shut up!" Talking to myself again. Perfect.

"You say something?" Cameron asked me.

"No," I assured him, lying down on my bed and burying my head in the pillow.

There was a moment of silence, then he prompted, "So what do you want me to talk about?"

"Remember before we got into field work and we'd have to wait for our dads? We used to make up those random lists. Can we do that now?"

"'Course. What's the topic?"

"What we'd do if we were in charge of the world. We did that one all the time."

"Yeah, I remember. Hmm. Ice cream for breakfast."

"No homework on weekends."

"Recess in high school."

"Cheap college education."

"No placement tests."

"Tougher punishment for rapists."

"Tougher punishment for child abusers."

We went back and forth for awhile, sometimes serious, sometimes not, until I was too tired to speak. Cam kept going, though, and I drifted off to sleep.

Instead of the warehouse, I was in the Cave, surrounded by the Team and Mom and Jade and Roy. Everyone was laughing and getting along, even Wally and Cam, and I was the old me, the strong, tough girl instead of the victim I had become. Everything was how it should have been, how it needed to be.

And then I woke up, and all was back to normal.

Before every spitfire fan kills me, Artemis is NOT cheating on Wally. She and Cam are just friends.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Major thanks to SwampFoxtheThird, who pointed out a goof in the last chapter. You all read, "I''tbemadanymoreI—" when it was supposed to say, "I'm so so so so sorry I was such an idiot please please please don't be mad anymore I—" Yay technology for randomly shortening my thoughts.

Disclaimer: Anything that is famous does not belong to me.

Chapter 7

Black Canary stood before us, her hands clasped behind her back. "You guys got off easy last weekend, so I expect only the best out of you today. First things first, though." She turned to Cam, sitting between Aqualad and Superboy, and smiled. "Welcome to the Team."

Wally snorted and rolled his eyes. Sending him a dirty look, I punched him in the arm, hard enough to earn an undignified, "Ow!"

Apparently, when he'd apologized the night before for acting like a jerk, he hadn't meant he was sorry enough to _stop _acting like a jerk. Before combat practice began, he'd been making snide, under-his-breath remarks about Cam, loud enough for all of us to hear. And when we were walking into the training room, he'd slipped his arm around my waist and steered me away from the cryokinetic. The only reason I had yet to snap was because of Ollie's words replaying over and over in my mind. He'd get over this jealousy thing. Eventually.

My attention shifted from Wally when I heard Black Canary say, "So, care to show us some of your moves?"

Cam blinked, as though he wasn't really sure if she was talking to him, then nodded weakly and stood. As he approached her, she explained, "Combat training means absolutely no powers. The only goal is to knock your opponent down before he or she does it to you. You ready?"

After waiting for one of us to stand, he realized who he was facing. "Against _you_?" he chocked.

She laughed. "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you."

"Hope not," Wally muttered. I let that one slide.

Shifting uncomfortably, Cam said, "I really don't think I should go against you. I've…

I've never gone through any kind of combat training."

That threw her off guard. "Never?"

Nodding, Cam explained, "I focused on perfecting my powers. I never needed to fight without them. I don't…I don't think I _can_ fight without them."

Black Canary, reading the shame written on his face, softened and opened her mouth as if to say something, but Wally cut her off.  
"Nine years and you've never fought in hand-to-hand combat? That's pretty pathetic. No offense or anything."

"Not cool, dude," Robin objected quietly.

"Hey, I'm just saying what we were all thinking."

Before we could say that no, we weren't thinking that at all, Canary spoke. "The only pathetic thing I see about this situation, Wally, is you picking on a teammate. Now, since you're so tough, I want you to fight him."

Sneering, Wally replied, "My pleasure."

As he took a fighting stance, Black Canary whispered something to Cam. He seemed uncertain, but he nodded anyway and took a defensive stance.

"On my count. Three, two, one."

Wally immediately went for a round-house kick, but Cam easily dodged. Undeterred, he tried for consecutive punches. No contact. They continued like this for a good five minutes, every move on Wally's part being avoided by Cam.

"What, too afraid to hit me?" Wally finally spat, attempting a kick.

Stupid idea. Taking a step back, Cam grabbed Wally's foot mid-air and threw him down. Hitting the ground with a thud, he groaned as the floor announced his failure.

"I win," Cam stated simply, taking his seat.

"No…fair," Wally protested, struggling to sit.

"I think it was perfectly fair," Black Canary told him. "Zatanna and Rocket, you're up."

Grumbling, Wally moved next to me. I crossed my arms over my chest and scooted farther from him.

"Artemis—"

"You are such a dick," I growled, my eyes on the fight, not him.

"Look—"

"No. You have no right to talk to Cam that way. He's trying to change—he's really, really trying, but you talking down to him? That's not going to help anything."

"C'mon, it was a joke."

"It sure as Hell wasn't funny!" I thought about all the times Cam had been called pathetic by Joar and the crushed, heartbroken expression that would cross his face. Sighing, I forced myself to focus on the present. "Just give him a chance. Please?"

He didn't answer.

"Let me rephrase: if you don't give him a chance, we're through."

"You don't mean that." The pain in his voice prompted me to face him. God, he seemed so…hurt. "Please, babe, don't say that. I care about you."

"I care about you too, Wally, but Cam's my friend, and I can't have you treating him like crap. Our relationship will not work if you don't change."

We didn't speak for the next few rounds of sparring matches.

"Artemis and Robin."

Just as we were about to start, Batman walked into the arena. I raised an eyebrow at Robin, questioning why his mentor was here—he trusted Canary with our training and didn't like to step on her toes by inspecting our progress. The acrobat just shrugged.

"Cameron, come with me."

A silence settled, chocking and overwhelming and so very, very loud. As Cam obeyed, I felt a pang of pity because he had to speak with _Batman_, all by himself, about who-the-Hell-knows. And I knew he was scared, even if he would never admit it. And he was by best friend, so how could I let him do this alone?

If Batman was surprised that I'd followed them out of the room, he certainly didn't show it. He just faced Cam and explained, "Your intel proved useful. Nearly all of the villains have been captured and returned to Belle Reve."

I almost burst out laughing. He'd interrupted training to tell him that?

Cam, though, he picked up on what Batman had wanted him to hear. "Nearly all of the villains? Who's left?"

"Tommy Terror."

My stomach tightened painfully, and I felt light-headed.

"From what we could tell, Stage 1 and Stage 2 villains were in pairs. Unless he was part of Stage 3, which we highly doubt, he would have had a partner." He paused, as though contemplating how to continue. "He should have been your partner."

My heart skipped a beat, but Cam didn't even blink. Shrugging, he said, "He was supposed to be my partner, but he never reached our rendezvous site. Halfway to Gotham and then he just went off in another direction. Dad was still pretty pissed over my failure in the first break; probably told him to meet up with his sister's team and hoped I got killed. Anyway, Terror must've gotten wind of what was happening, seen the writing on the wall, decided to stay low."

The Dark Knight scrutinized him for a moment, then nodded in acceptance. "We'll have the League maintain alert of the east coast. Now, back to training. Both of you."

As soon as he was gone, I let out a breath I hadn't even known I'd been holding. "Since when are you a good liar?"

"I'm good under pressure. I couldn't exactly tell him the truth." He sent me a cautious look. "Should I have told the truth?"

"Cam—"

"Terror's on the loose, Artemis."

"I know that, but he must know by now that the plan went sour; he's going to stay low, just like you said."

"He has a temper and an ego, plus a superiority complex. He is not the type to just wait it out. He's going to do something."

"And when he does, the League will stop him."

"What if he goes after another girl?"

"Don't talk like that!"

"I'm trying to be realistic here."

"I don't _want _you to be realistic." In a softer voice, I added, "I want you to tell me that everything's going to be okay. Please."

I was being selfish, but I couldn't bring myself to care. Cam was my ticket to Wonderland, my only escape from reality, and I couldn't afford to lose that, not yet, at least. I wasn't ready to face my demons.

"Okay, Artemis. Whatever you want."

"Thank you."

I started for the arena, but Cam grabbed my hand to stop me. "Are you…are you are Wally alright?"

My face burned. "Of course. Why would you ask?"

"I'm not blind. I saw how you reacted after our fight. You two were having a very heated conversation."

"Did you have Connor eavesdrop?"

Raising his hands defensively, he explained, "The guy has super hearing. If he wants to use it, who am I to stop him?"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. It's not a big deal."

"It is. I don't want you breaking up over me."

"The way he treats you—"

"Is nothing compared to what I went through with Dad. I can handle this just fine. But you? You need him, probably more than you need me. So just make nice and forget about it. I'm the one who's supposed to be protecting you, not the other way around."

"Thanks, Cam."

"No problem. Now, got get back in the banana's good graces."

I took his advice, slipping my hand into Wally's when I sat down. He had to do a few double takes before a giant grin crossed his face, one that didn't leave for the whole session.

"So, does this mean you're not mad anymore?" he asked once we were dismissed.

"It means I may have overreacted _but _I'm still not pleased with how you talk to my friend. I don't care if you don't like him; just don't vocalize that. Be civil."

He gave an exaggerated salute. "Yes, ma'am."

I elbowed him playfully and offered, "How about we go on a picnic? I'll bring your favorite: everything."

"Babe, you rock." Kissing me on the cheek, he said, "I'll be ready in a flash," before zooming off.

I just smiled to myself and headed to the kitchen, grabbing one of the picnic baskets from under the island—thank God for Megan's love of fifties television shows—and throwing as much food as possible into it. While I did that, I broke down the math. It would take Wally no more than five minutes to get changed; that was just enough time to put my plan into action.

"Hey, Robin, can you come here for a sec?"

Glancing from his latest technology project, he back-flipped over the living room couch and approached me. "What's up, Artemis? You and Wally all patched up again?"

"How did you know something was wrong?"

Cackling, he explained, "I was raised by the World's Greatest Detective. Plus Wally's my best friend. Not that hard. But anyway, what's up?"

"I need you to do me a favor."

"Deal."

"Can you make a communicator, like the one we have for missions?"

He scoffed. "In my sleep."

"Can you make it so it only links with my communicator?"

"A little more difficult, but yeah, I can do it. Why?"

"I need it for Cam."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Does Wally know?"

"No. And he can't."

"That's a major violation of the bro-code."

"Please, Robin. Me and Cam are friends; I miss being able to talk to him. Besides, it's not an easy adjustment he's making."

_Oh, of course, make him look like the weak one_.

Ignoring that nagging voice, I continued, "It's not that I want to keep secrets from Wally, but you know how he is. Everything would just get blown out of proportion."

After a moment, Robin said, "Okay, I'll do it. But, as best-bro, I have to make sure of a few things. You and Cam never had anything?"

"I was _thirteen _the last time I saw him."

"I'm thirteen."

"So?"

"So…" He suddenly blushed, coughed a bit, and kept going. "And you have no feelings for him now?"

"Not like that."

"Alrighty then. I should get this thing to you by this afternoon."

"Thanks. I owe you."

As I headed to my own room to clean up, I attempted to ease the gnawing guilt in the pit of my stomach. I wasn't cheating on Wally or anything; I was just talking to my friend. Besides, I was only going to use it at night, when I was trying to fall asleep.

"Artemis? You ready?"

"Coming."

Our date was perfect. We spent the whole time laughing and talking, and it was just _nice_.

"I feel like I can tell you everything," I murmured to him as we entered the Cave.

That was when Robin, in the midst of greeting Wally, slipped me the communicator. And the voice contemptuously sneered, _Well, I guess not everything._

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Yes, Wally's still acting like an idiot, but there's a reason other than Artemis for him disliking Cam. Can anyone guess what it is?


	8. Chapter 8

AN: So Wally's other reason for acting so dumb will be revealed…in the next chapter. In the meantime, here's a hint: the reason is based off of something that happened in the second half of Season 1.

Higher T, just to be on the safe side

Disclaimer: Own? Me? Nope.

Chapter 8

The clock was broken.

That was the only thought running through my mind at the end of the day. I should have been focusing on the pre-calculus lesson, but I couldn't because the bell had to ring _right then_ but it wouldn't because the damn clock was broken. The hands hadn't moved, not even the tiniest bit, and they _had to_ because I needed to get out of there—

The ear-splitting shriek of the bell cut through the school, and I grabbed my stuff and bolted, by-passing my locker and going straight to the bathroom.

_Please, please, please, please, please tell me I'm wrong._

No blood. Not a drop.

I sat down heavily and buried my head in my hands, setting my jaw tightly to keep my cool.

I was late. Three days late. Maybe that wasn't a big deal for most girls, but I'd been consistent since the very first time I got it. I'd never been late, never been early. Now, it was wrong, off-balance, and that could only mean…

"You're not pregnant," I whispered, so quietly that even I could barely hear it. "Don't think like that, Artemis. You are not going to have Terror's child. You're not. Just breathe, girl. Breathe."

Managing to control myself, I emerged from the stall and went through my typical routine. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing wrong. Nothing at all.

It was only when I was home, in the safety of my room, that I let myself cry, the tears snaking down my cheeks. This couldn't be happening; I was just blowing everything out of proportion because I wasn't pregnant, I couldn't be, I just _couldn't_.

But I could. Because it only took one time to get pregnant, even if that one time was awful and painful and forced and with a complete monster.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to forget the situation by turning to my homework. The harder I tried to care, though, the less I could because it was so _irrelevant_, so _unnecessary; _what happened during Germany's reconstruction or the velocity of a ball rolling down a hill or the balancing of a chemical equation meant nothing, not when there was a chance of me becoming a mother.

Shoving half-written assignments aside, I reached into my drawer and pulled out my biology notes from the first semester. After a frantic search, I found the unit on embryology. I stared at the progression of the zygote to a full-fledged fetus. That could be happening inside of me.

With trembling hands, I shoved the notes back into their rightful place and crawled into bed, hugging the pillow tightly to my chest. More tears come, angrier than before, stronger than before, and I let the soft fabric muffle my sobs. I was scared. Terrified. And I didn't know what to do.

Almost subconsciously, I found myself reaching for my communicator, but before I could radio for Cam, I stopped myself. He had to contact me; it was the only way to make absolutely certain that no one figured out what we were doing.

I glanced at the clock. Five-thirty. Five more hours, max, until he would call.

_Pull yourself together. You need to pull yourself together._

So I did, pretending everything was just fine even though that was the farthest thing from the truth. It was only after I'd said good-night to Mom and heard my communicator crackling that I let myself break.

"Cam?"

"The one and only."

"I'm late."

"For a very important date?"

"This is serious!" It was part snarl, part growl, part whimper. "I haven't gotten my period."

"Jesus. How late?"

"Three days."

"That's it?"

"What do you mean, that's it? I've never been late before!"

"Sorry." His voice was gentle. "It's just, I mean, isn't that whole…cycle thingy influenced by lots of things?"

"What?"

"Like if you're stressed out, doesn't that screw it up?"

"I don't know!"

"Maybe it's not time to panic—"

"I might be pregnant with my rapist's child; I think now is the perfect time to panic!" I was practically hyperventilating, sputtering incoherent nonsense about embryology and cells and what could be.

"Artemis, Artemis, please, calm down. It'll be alright, okay? I swear to you things will work out. Artemis, please, are you listening? Forget it—I'm coming over."

"No!" I took a gulp of air and swallowed hard. "You can't. The computer will announce your departure."

"But—"

"Just talk to me. Please."

"Okay." There was a beat of silence. "Look, I'm, I'm not too sure what I should say, but I'm telling you that you're not pregnant. You are not carrying Terror's child, you are not going to become a mother at sixteen. You're not, okay? But _if_—and this is a huge if, okay, never, ever forget that—if you are pregnant, you…you don't have to have the baby. No one would judge you."

And I knew he was right. Right now, _if _I was pregnant, there was a morula. A solid ball of cells. Nothing even close to a human. I wasn't killing anything, destroying anything, just getting rid of a little ball of cells.

But I knew that the little ball of cells would become more than that. Those cells would differentiate, become different from my own. The ball would change, grow, become humanoid. It would get a heart, a heartbeat. It would have a brain, and it would think and dream. It would become a little person, a baby, _my _baby. And with that baby came lullabies and bedtime stories and hugs and kisses and _I love you Mom_'s_._

"I don't think I could have an abortion," I whispered.

"Then you wouldn't get one. This is your life. Whatever you choose, I'll support you. We'll all support you."

"We…" And the realization that my rape would be revealed hit me full-forced. Everyone—the Team, Mom, Green Arrow, the League—they'd all know. I couldn't deal with that; the sheer onslaught of their reactions, their pain, would be too much.

"Artemis? Artemis? Please, answer."

"I'm fine, Cam," I managed. "I'm really, really fine."

"No, you're not. I think I should—"

"You can't." It hurt to say because I did want him to come over, to hold me and tell me everything was going to work out. But that couldn't happen.

"Then what can I do?" The helplessness in his voice was impossible to miss.

"Just talk to me."

He obliged, saying anything that came to mind—stupid jokes, random stories, more things we'd do if we ran the world. And it worked, because I landed in Wonderland. For some reason, it was snowing, thick and fluffy, and everyone was there, and we spent the whole time playing, building forts and having snowball fights and creating a snowman village. We were acting like kids.

And when I woke up, I realized that I was _still _a kid. I wasn't ready to be a mom, not anytime soon. Maybe…maybe getting an abortion wasn't out of the question. My baby's _soul _wouldn't die (because God wouldn't let it, he wouldn't), it would just go to another woman. And there would still be lullabies and bedtime stories and hugs and kisses and _I love you Mom_'s_, _they just wouldn't involve me; they'd involve a woman who was ready for this baby, who _deserved _this baby.

My stomach throbbed as I struggled between my two options, and the pain only intensified when I sat down for AP Euro. I gritted my teeth, telling myself that the sudden C I had in this class was the thing I had to worry about. As though to prove the statement wrong, another wave of agony washed over me.

_I do not need this right now_, I thought bitterly. Halfway through class, though, the ebb-and-flow of the pain suddenly seemed familiar, and I realized that it might be exactly what I needed.

The second the bell rang, I was out the door and in the bathroom.

_Please, please, please._

Blood. A splash of red on white.

Before I could control myself, I let out a laugh, shaky and almost disbelieving and ecstatic and _relieved_. The typical chatter in the girl's room ceased, and I clamped my hand on my mouth to keep quiet. Once I was sure everyone was gone, I resumed laughing, unconcerned with how crazy that was. I didn't have to choose, didn't have to justify, didn't have to worry.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Why would I let my show go on hiatus?

Chapter 9

Cam and Wally stood facing each other, waiting for Canary's command.

It was Saturday morning, two days after my pregnancy scare. We should have been having combat practice, but instead, we were being permitted to use our powers—or, for me and Robin, weapons. I'm pretty sure Canary was doing this for Cam's benefit, as a boost of confidence.

Wally cracked his neck and smiled cockily. "Get ready to lose. I'm beast with my powers; can practically vibrate through walls now."

Cam just snickered.

"What's so funny?" Wally demanded.

Instead of answering him, he turned to me and said, in all seriousness, "Artemis, you're dating a vibrating banana."

"Cam!" I hissed as my teammates went slack-jawed and Robin burst into a sudden fit of uncontrollable laughter.

Before Wally could retaliate, Canary stepped between them. "Alright, you two. That's enough. On my count."

"You ready, _Junior_?"

"Hell yeah, _Kid_."

"Three, two, one."

An icicle was launched at Wally, but he easily got out of the way. He attempted to get Cam from behind but was stopped by an onslaught of ice. Pausing for only a millisecond, Wally changed directions, probably in hopes of confusing Cam, who responded with shard after shard. After it was clear this tactic wasn't working, he iced the floors.

"No!" I shouted.

Wally lost all traction and went skidding, and the only reason he didn't smash into the wall was because Megan used her powers to stop him.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Ignoring her, Wally spat at Cam, "What the Hell is wrong with you?"

"Mad because I won?" He had a smile on his face, but it quickly disappeared when he realized we were all staring at him, wide-eyed. "What?"

"You can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"I'm going at the speed of sound! What do you think would happen if I crashed into something going that fast?" His voice was shaky, borderline tears. One of his biggest fears was losing control while he was running.

"I'm sorry," Cam murmured, unable to meet his eyes. "I wasn't thinking like that."

"Wasn't thinking? More like you don't care."

"Wally," Canary began warningly, but it was clear that whatever was about to happen was out of her control.

Head snapping up, Cam asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Like you really give a crap if you hurt someone."

"I do!" His clenched his hands into fists. "I'm not like the others."

"Oh, really?" The contempt was obvious, poison dripping from every word. "You think joining with us automatically makes you good? News flash: it doesn't. There are some things you can't atone for."

"What are you talking about?"

"Because of you and the other ice villains, a little girl almost died!"

"I'm not a killer," Cam protested, voice constricted.

Wally rolled his eyes. "Oh, okay. Helping make sure Perdita would die doesn't count as murder."

"Perdita? That girl Vertigo wanted to hold for ransom?"

"Hold for ransom? He wanted her to die! _Your _ice ships shut down all the roads to the hospital to prevent her transplant heart from getting to her."

Shaking his head, Cam quietly objected, "He, he wanted to hold her for ransom. She'd be worth millions—"

"He's a fricking count! You really think he needed more money?"

"I don't know! I'm telling you what they told me."

"So that makes it all better?" He was no longer screaming, which was somehow worse. "You blindly following whatever someone tells you to do? If she would have died, it still would've been partially your fault. She's _ten_. You almost killed a little ten-year-old girl. Nothing you do will make up for that."

"I didn't know," Cam whispered, and there was a pleading look in his eyes, like he needed us to believe him.

Snorting, Wally shook his head and walked away, taking his seat next to me. After a moment, Canary gently placed a hand on Cam's shoulder and told him to sit down before calling for Aqualad and Rocket.

"Are you okay?" I softly asked my boyfriend.

"Could've died. Why wouldn't I feel okay?"

"Cam never would've done that if he thought you would've gotten hurt. He's really not like that."

"He was part of the plan to kill Perdita. He's no different from the others."

"He said he didn't know."

"And you believe him?"

"Yes. I don't doubt his dad lied to him."

"Okay, fine. Let's go along with this idea that he had absolutely no clue she could die. He still helped in a kidnapping."

I sighed. "You don't get it, Wally. Growing up the way we did…you learn to disassociate. You don't think about consequences; you just do what you're told. Me and Cam, we did whatever we had to as long as it wasn't murder. That's all we could do. We tried to keep from becoming what they wanted us to become, but it's hard."

"But you did it. You got out. Him? He's only out because you told him to."

"That's not fair; Cam would've quit the life."

"When? After he'd finally been forced to kill? I'm sorry, Artemis, but I can't trust him, and I don't think I ever will. He's not like you; he didn't leave on his own."

"It's not the same."

"Why not?"

"Because I had Mom to act as my moral compass. Once she was done being Huntress, she wanted me out of Dad's control. Cam…Cam never had anything like that."

"Where's his mom?"

I bit my lip—that topic was off-limits. "Trust me on this, Wally. And don't ever bring up his mom, okay? You can't."

Of course, him being Wally, he completely disregarded that statement. Training had finished and we were all just outside of the arena when he casually asked, "Hey, Cam, I was wondering something—where's your mom in all of this?"

I stomped on his foot and growled, "Don't."

It was too late. The Team froze, sending cautious glances at Cam.

"Does it matter?" was the response, tinged with sadness and anger and _pain_.

"No," Kaldur interjected firmly. "It is not our business to know of your family. Our only concern is your performance with, and loyalty to, the Team."

"We all have a right to an identity outside of hero business," Robin added, something unreadable in his tone. The others nodded in agreement.

Shrugging nonchalantly, Wally continued, "I mean, we all know about his dad, right? I'm just curious to why his mom's not in the picture."

"You really want to know why?" Cam spat. There was a hard edge to his words, and the smug look on Wally's face faded fast. "My mom never wanted me. See, she's a gold-digger; Dad's just gotten rich off a big heist. They run into each other one night, get drunk off fine wine, and have sex. Dad disappears, Mom goes on with her life. Then she finds out she's pregnant. And she wants to have an abortion—she told me _that_ plenty of times growing up—but she's afraid it will leave her sterile or something and she doesn't want that because she really, really does love kids. So she has me. And I'm born like _this_.

"I'm a constant reminder of who my father is. And she deals with me because she doesn't have much of a choice, not now, but she doesn't love me. You can tell, as a kid, even when you're really little. She gives me these looks, and she yells at every little thing I do wrong, and she calls me 'boy' or 'you' or 'kid.' And she spends most of her time trying to find ways to make me normal, most of which are painful and all of which are degrading. And it's bad, but I guess it could be worse, and I deserve it, after all, because I'm a freak and I should be grateful that she even stuck around to raise me, so we get along okay. But then, when I turn five, I learn I have powers. And now she _hates_ me.

"I'm a monster, even more of a freak than I was before. She either screams at me every second or she won't even talk to me. I'm a mistake, the biggest one she's ever made. And after three years, she snaps. She tracks down my dad—and I must give her credit for that, because even the League hadn't been able to—and they have a nice little shouting-match over me. And it ends with her driving away, leaving me with him.

"So my mom's not in the picture because she doesn't want to be. But I can _bet _that she has a nice family now, a real family, with a husband and kids, and they all live this perfect life in this perfect town, and she's completely forgotten about _me_."

His voice broke, and he stormed off.

All eyes turned from the retreating figure to Wally. I should have been the first to react—Cam was my best friend, and I knew how badly this hurt him, but I was too stunned to do anything. Thankfully, Raquel had that covered.

"You ass!" she snarled, punching Wally in the shoulder. He had the decency to take it without a word. "What is wrong with you? Bringing up his mama. Seriously?"

"I didn't think it would be _that_ bad."

"It was still unnecessary," Zatanna insisted, arms crossed over her chest. "What the Hell is your problem?"

"I…I…" He glanced at me, then away. "I don't know. I'm sorry, okay?"

"It is not to us to whom you must apologize," Kaldur murmured.

Awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, Wally said, "Yeah, I know. I will."

"Now," Connor insisted.

"Um, dude? Did you see his face? He does not want to talk to me right now. Besides, we don't even know where he is."

A sudden crashing sound came from down the hall. Robin muttered, "This is just a guess, but I think he's in the weight room."

"Go," Kaldur instructed.

Wally paled. "Shouldn't I wait until he, you know, calms down? I'd rather not be killed."

"Don't worry." Robin began playing with his wrist computer, and a video feed of Cam, beating the stuffing out of as many punching bags as possible, appeared. "We'll watch, intervene if necessary."

"Maybe," Raquel added under her breath.

"Wait a second; I thought only Batman had access to the cameras," Megan said.

He explained with a smirk, "Anything Batman has access to, I have access to. So go on, Wally; we've got your back."

"But—"

"No buts," Kaldur objected. "It is an order."

And Wally knew he had no choice because Kaldur had just pulled the leader card and he _never _did that. Shoulders slumped, he began his walk of shame.

"Oh, don't walk!" Raquel chided.

Grumbling to himself, he obeyed, and we all crammed around Robin, watching as Cam turned from a dummy he was currently cutting to shreds. "What do you want?"

Wally appeared on-screen, keeping his distance. "I want to apologize."

Rolling his eyes, Cam retorted, "No, the others want you to apologize."

"Right on the money," Zatanna murmured.

"Okay, yeah, that might be _part _of it," Wally admitted, "but I really am sorry. I went too far."

Cam pursed his lips, thought about it. "S'okay."

"That's it?" Megan questioned.

"No way," Connor protested.

Running his fingers through his hair, Wally hesitantly continued, "And I'm…I'm sorry for how I've been acting."

"Whatever." Returning to his practice, Cam added, "You can cut the crap."

"I'm being for real!"

"You're only saying that because you feel bad for bringing up my mom."

"I'm saying it because I've been acting like a moron. I was pissed about you working against Perdita and jealous about you knowing Artemis and I thought you were a coward for not splitting with the villains sooner." The words were coming out in a rush. "And I was stupid to think that it's so easy to just get up and rearrange the only life you've known. But now, I guess, considering your…past, it's not much of a surprise you stuck with your dad."

Cam stopped and stared at Wally, who shifted uncomfortably and requested, "Can you get out of your ice-form so I don't feel like you're about to turn me into a sculpture?"

Complying, Cam muttered, "You were really jealous?"

Raquel planted her hands on her hips. "Out of that whole spiel, that's what he picked up on?"

Wally blinked in surprise. "Well, yeah."

"Have you looked at me?" Cam gestured to his skin.

"So you have a genetic mutation? So what?" Wally pointed to his hair. "Same thing."

Cam cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really. Double copy of the recessive gene on chromosome 16, leads to a mutation in the MC1R protein."

"Huh. Interesting."

"Yup."

The two looked at each other for a moment. "Are we cool?" Wally finally asked.

Cam gave Wally the once-over, then nodded. "Yeah. We're cool."

Wally offered his hand, and Cam accepted. As they were shaking on it, he added, "But if you do _anything_ to hurt Artemis, I'll freeze off your balls and shove them down your throat."

As the guys around me winced and Wally hastily acknowledged his threat, I allowed myself I smile. They weren't friends, but they weren't mortal enemies, either. That was enough for me.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Sandusky was found guilty. My faith in humanity has been restored.

Disclaimer: The plot is mine. Everything else…not so much.

Chapter 10

"As promised, here are your practice quizzes from yesterday." Ms. Lydon walked around the room, handing back the lined sheets of paper. "Even though they don't count, they are a good indication for how well you will do on the test, which is…"

"Friday," we answered in unison.

"Good." She got to my row, and my stomach churned nervously. "I know our class is wrapping up, but don't lose yourself in the home stretch." Placing my paper face-down on my desk, she continued, "Just a little over a month left. I don't want to see any of you lose the grade you've been working so hard to maintain."

Only after she moved to the next row did I dare look. Angry red lines cut through most of my answers. A shameful 10% stood at the top of the page, followed by _See Me After Class_.

Groaning, I flipped the paper back over and stayed rooted in my seat even when the bell rang. I doodled on the back of the quiz so I don't have to see the curious looks my classmates must have been giving me.

"Artemis," Ms. Lydon started, coming to my side, "you can do better than this. You're an A student."

"Sorry," I muttered.

"I don't want an apology," she told me gently. "I don't even want an explanation, unless _you _feel like giving me one. I just want you to know that you should not end this year with a C. You are such a bright girl."

"Thank you," I managed, speaking around the lump in my throat.

"You can bring your grade up—you know I always drop the lowest grade of the marking period, and your World War II test is the only thing holding you down. However, that means you need to ace the next one. Okay?"

"'Kay." I stood hastily, never before so excited to get to gym.

"I know you can do it," she added softly, almost like an afterthought.

I acknowledged this with only a nod because I did not feel like being late and the next class was already coming in and I was afraid that if I spoke, I'd suddenly burst into tears. Because, truthfully, I didn't think I could get an A, or a B, or even a C. We'd been learning about post-WWII Europe for the past two weeks, but none of it had really registered; school was not exactly at the top of priority list at the moment, and I was too busy trying to regain some normalcy to put it there. Now, it was going to come back and bite me.

The rest of the day was a blur, my mind too focused on not failing AP Euro to really care about anything else. Once home, I planted myself at my desk and opened my notes, determined to memorize everything necessary. When I tried to read them, however, I suddenly realized why I could barely remember anything from class. The detailed descriptions of Stalin's regime would shift to a stream of conscious about what happened the night Terror had raped me or my relationship with Wally or my wishing that I could talk to Cam.

"God, I'm screwed," I muttered, burying my head in my hands. I managed to read whatever coherent notes I could, but I knew it wasn't going to be enough, especially when sentences would be half-finished and my homework sheets were complete BS.

"C'mon, Artemis," I mumbled to myself, reaching for the textbook. "Focus. Just really, really focus. You can do this."

I believed that for the first five pages before acknowledging that it was useless. The test was on four chapters; it took at least two hours to read each chapter because there was so much information. That was on a good day. At the moment, I had to reread every sentence before having a chance of processing it.

Pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration, I skipped perusing and jumped to skimming, gathering bits and pieces of information. After getting through all the required pages, I realized I couldn't answer any question on the Need to Know study guide Ms. Lydon had given us. Completely overwhelmed, I slammed the book shut and threw it off my desk, turning to my other work because I might as well not fail all my classes.

_Do you still think everything's perfect? _the voice questioned. _Is struggling in school when you never used to perfect?_

I shook my head angrily and attempted another stoichiometry problem.

_You're so busy fighting for Wonderland that you can't see you're drowning in reality. Even Alice had to go home sometime. So why are you still running, Artemis?_

"I'm not running," I told the empty room.

_You're right. You're tripping and falling, only you're not going down the rabbit hole. Rock bottom's a scary place, and when you reach it, no one will be there for you. Not the Team, not Wally, not your mom. Not even Cam._

My pencil snapped in my hand. Taking a deep breath to control myself, I put all my stuff away—I wasn't going to get anything done tonight. All I could do was act like everything was normal (_it's a shame it's only an act, isn't it, Artemis?_) and wait.

"Artemis?"

"Hey, Cam."

"What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. Just going to end Euro with a C, if not lower. No big deal."

"What happened?"

"We have a test on Friday and I'm going to fail it."

"You're not going to fail."

"I got a twenty percent on the last test and a ten percent on the practice quiz. I _am _going to fail."

"You still can't pay attention in school?"

"No."

There was a pause, too long for my liking. "Cam?"

"I'm still here. It's just… I need to say something, and you're not going to like it, but I just need you to listen, okay?"

"I'm not telling anyone about the rape."

"I know that. But maybe if you talked about it, you'd feel better."

"I talk to you."

"No. We talk, but we don't talk about what happened."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Maybe you have to." His voice was gentle, pleading even. "It can't be good, pretending it didn't happen."

"So what, I'm supposed to dwell on this and relive it? That's not going to fix anything, either."

"Not relive it; get over it."

"Talking about it will not help me," I spat. "And I don't _want _to talk about it. I just want to figure out a way to do well in this stupid class."

"I could help you."

"Oh, yeah, you could help me in an AP class." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. "Oh my God. Oh, God, Cam, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that, I didn't. You know I didn't mean that. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." If I was anyone else, I would have believed him. But I was his best friend, and I heard the pain in his voice.

"Cam—"

"Artemis, I know you have a lot on your mind right now. It's okay. I swear. Now, about your class: your textbook must be online somewhere, right?"

"Yeah."

"So give me the website for your book and I'll read the chapters to you."

"It takes forever to read, and there are four chapters."

"You can go to sleep; I think your brain still processes stuff even when you're not awake. And I don't have school, so I can just go to sleep whenever."

It was crazy, but I was running low on options. Telling him the website, I settled down and waited for him to access the Cave's main computer. "Don't you think Batman or one of them checks the history? What are they going to say if you're reading about European history at ten at night?"

"Artemis, I'm a teenage boy. Do you know what most guys my age are looking up at this time of night?"

"Cam!"

He chuckled. "I'm just saying that there are a lot of worse things I could be doing than trying to get past my current education level. So, where am I starting?"

"Chapter 22."

I managed to stay awake for an hour before slipping into a dreamless sleep. When morning came around, I hurried to my desk and grabbed the study guide. I could answer the first seventeen questions.

It was completely unorthodox, and a horrible suggestion to anyone else, but it was working. For the next two days, I didn't even bother trying to decode my notes; I placed all my trust in Cam.

"All material away, everyone," Ms. Lydon said, passing back the Scantrons. "Remember, keep your eyes on your own paper." She handed out the test packets. "No writing on the actual tests. You have all block."

I suddenly felt sick. I was basically taking this test with no prep whatsoever and I needed to do well and I just wasn't—

And then I saw the first question. And I _knew_ it. Right off the back. Without even having to rack my brain.

Smiling to myself, I got through the test, confident in almost every answer I put down. And when I got home, my confidence was justified. 96.25%. Only three wrong.

_So you didn't fail_, the voice mused. _Doesn't mean everything is going to be rainbows and sunshine. Get into the real world._

"I am in the real world," I objected. "And I'm doing just fine."

And it was true.

(_Are you sure about that, Artemis?)_


	11. Chapter 11

Higher T for a scene that happens in the second half of the chapter

Disclaimer: Nothing that belongs to someone else belongs to me.

Chapter 11

"Okay, there is _no way_ you've never done combat training before," Raquel told Cam as we were leaving the arena.

"Yeah, dude," Wally added, rubbing his shoulder. "Last time, you won by luck. This time, you totally kicked ass. How'd you get so good?"

Ducking his head in embarrassment, Cam explained, "Black Canary's been giving me private lessons."

A grin crossed Wally's face, and he lightly punched Cam in the arm. "You dog."

Blushing, Cam muttered, "Nothing like that," before shoving Wally playfully.

As they continued bantering, Robin smirked. "Seems like Cam's officially on the Team now."

"About time," Connor mumbled.

Zatanna smiled slyly. "I say that's worthy of a celebration."

Megan clapped her hands together. "That's a great idea! Movie marathon?"

"Horror!" Robin shouted. "We're totally watching horror first!"

Rolling her eyes, Raquel protested, "No way. Thriller."

"Romantic comedy."

"Science fiction."

"Only _you _like that, Wally."

"Oh, what do you want to watch, babe? _Robin Hood_?"

"Perhaps," Kaldur interjected, "we should allow Cam to choose."

All eyes turned to our newest teammate. Thinking for a moment, he said, "Horror sounds good."

Pumping his fist in the air in victory, Robin raced ahead, stopping only long enough to ask, "You're seventeen, right?"

When Cam nodded, the acrobat cackled and cheered, "I'm picking something R-rated!"

Zatanna sighed and shouted to him, "Read _why _it's R-rated before you pick it, at least! I do not want to watch anything with grotesque sexual content."

"We save _that _for guy's night," Wally muttered to Cam. Shaking my head, I elbowed his injured shoulder, earning a yelp from him and a snicker from Cam.

Five bowls of popcorn, two bottles of soda, and an array of candy later, we were ready to start the movie. Robin had picked _Se7en_, which was about a murderer who kills people who exhibit the Seven Deadly Sins. We were only thirty minutes in when Cam asked, "Where's the popcorn?"

"All around," I muttered, staring intently at the screen.

After a bit of shuffling, he whispered, "I think we ate it all."

"Then make more," Raquel murmured, digging her nails into Kaldur's arm as the detectives discovered the latest victim.

Grumbling, he did as he was told, but he didn't immediately return to his seat. Realizing this, I turned my head a bit, trying to find him while still focusing on the movie. From the corner of my eye, I saw him sneaking up behind Robin and Zatanna, who were quite comfortable together.

"Hand check!" Cam screamed, causing us all to jump and Robin and Zatanna to pull apart.

As Cam burst into hysterics, the Boy Wonder leapt onto him. "So not cool!"

"You know, if you'd just kept your hands to yourself, he wouldn't have done that," Wally proposed through poorly-concealed laughter.

Instead of dignifying that with a verbal response, Robin grabbed the nearest pillow and chucked it at the red-head. He dodged—shielding me as he did so—allowing Raquel to get hit.

"Hey!" she squawked indignantly, grabbing the weapon and tossing it back in the general direction in which it had come. Zatanna became the next victim.

Megan was the first to react: "A pillow fight!"

Soon, all the pillows were under her telepathic control, leaving us at her mercy. "Hey, Connor," Cam shouted, "wanna stop your girlfriend?"

Connor obliged, grabbing her around the waist and twirling her around. Giggling, she allowed the pillows to drop harmlessly to the floor, but before any of us could grab them, Kaldur stood and declared, "Enough."

We froze. No one dared to breathe.

"We are superheroes," he stated, picking up one of the projectiles. "We should act like—"

Mid-sentence, he threw the pillow at me. All I could do was gap at him as a smile crossed his face.

"Oh, it is _so _on."

In an instant, the living room became a battle zone. Empty popcorn bowls fell to the floor; soda spilt all over the table and dribbled onto the carpet. Pillows and couch cushions flew from all directions. We were laughing and screaming like a bunch of six-year-olds on a sugar high, which was what we practically were at the moment.

"Is everything alright here?"

Stopping dead, we whipped around to face Red Tornado.

"I became aware of your shouts. They have persisted for some time now. Should I be concerned?"

"Oh, no, we're fine," Robin assured him.

"This is just another human custom," Zatanna explained. "Totally normal."

"Then I will you to such activities." With that, he left the room.

There was a beat of silence before we all resumed laughing. Sitting up, Wally stated, "We need to do this more often."

"Agreed." I surveyed the wreckage. "But next time, let's avoid spilling all the stuff."

"No biggie." Closing her eyes, Zatanna said, "On erom ssem."

"Impressive," Cam complimented, walking back into the kitchen to grab the popcorn he'd made. "Now, if someone could just explain who the Hell that person is…"

We turned our focus back to the screen. After a moment, Wally grabbed the remote and rewound to the last point we remembered.

The rest of the marathon was watched in relative peace; by the time it was over, it was already eleven o'clock. As we began splitting up, heading home or to our rooms, I grabbed Wally's hand and tugged him toward my room.

"When do you have to be back home?"

"Midnight, at the latest."

"Good." I closed the door and slipped my arms around him. "I really appreciate you being friends with Cam."

"No problem, babe. He's actually not that bad."

"I really, really appreciate it." I gently kissed his neck, right below his ear. "And I want to _show _you how much I appreciate it."

"Oh, okay." The light bulb went off. "Oh. _Oh_."

"Yeah." Swallowing the nerves, I softly said, "I want to take our relationship one step further."

He didn't answer for a while, and I felt like someone had just kicked me in the gut. Turning away, I murmured, "Unless you don't want to."

"I want to," he assured me, gently taking my chin in his hand. "I just don't want to do anything you're not ready for. So are you sure you want to do this?"

I nodded and entwined my fingers in his as I led him to my bed. Lying down, I asked, "Have you ever done this before?"

He shook his head. "No. Have you?"

I thought about Terror ripping off my shirt, my bra, and toying with me. "No."

"Okay." He awkwardly straddled me. "So…um… what do I do?"

"Just don't tear my shirt." I tried to say it jokingly, but it sounded so very serious.

His hands rested on my stomach but moved no further. After a minute, I prompted, "It's not rocket science, Wally."

"It would probably be easier if it were."

"Just do whatever feels right."

He responded by leaning down and kissing me. Relaxing, I kissed him back. As we made out, I became aware of his hands, slowly slipping up my shirt and gliding along my back, higher, until his found the strap he was looking for. He fumbled for a bit before the clasp came undone. And so did I.

"Wait!" I gasped, breaking our embrace. "Don't. Stop. Please."

Immediately pulling away, he whispered, "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. Artemis, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," I told him, struggling to re-hook my bra. "I'm just not ready."

We sat there together, not talking, for the longest time, unable to look at one another. Finally, he stood. "I should probably get home.

"You should."

"I'm really sorry."

I kissed him on the cheek. "It wasn't your fault."

I don't think he was convinced.

Once he was gone, I sent my mom a text saying I was spending the night at the Cave and tiptoed to Cam's room. "Cam?"

"Come in."

He was lounging on his bed, his signature grin on his face. "Hey Artemis. Guess wh—" He saw the look on my face, and the grin vanished. Coming to my side, he asked, "What happened? Are you alright?"

I spoke to his floor: "Wally and I tried to get to second base."

After taking a moment to absorb that information, he questioned, "He was that bad?"

"No. I couldn't do it." I took a shaky breath. "I thought I could, but it didn't feel right."

He immediately understood. His arms wrapping tightly around me, he said, "I'm sorry, Artemis."

I clung to him. "I think I have to talk about it."

"Do whatever you have to do."

"I didn't…I didn't really want to do this. I mean, I wanted to do it with Wally, but not so soon. But ever since the rape—" My voice hitched, but I forced myself to continue "—I haven't felt right. Like my body isn't mine anymore. I can't stand to look at myself because I can see his hands all over me and I hate it. And I thought…I thought if I did this, I wouldn't feel like Terror owned me anymore. Like I was damaged. But as soon as Wally started to…I wasn't excited, or happy, or anything. I was lying there, just waiting for what was going to come next." Licking my lips, I added, almost inaudibly, "I don't think it's supposed to be like that."

"It's not."

Neither of us spoke for a few moments.

"Artemis, you're not damaged. And you're not Terror's property. And I know what I'm saying probably doesn't mean much, but it's true. You are beautiful and strong and no one can ever own you. And I wish to God I could do something to make you believe that but I _can't_. So I'm just going to keep telling you that, okay?" He tilted my head so my eyes met his. "You are not an object. You are Artemis Crock. You are a superhero. You are brave and strong and beautiful and no one should ever make you feel otherwise. You are not property. Terror has no claim over you. He can't hurt you now; he'll _never_ hurt you again. You are not damaged."

The sincerity in his voice was overwhelming. Burying my head in the crook of his neck, I whispered, "Thank you."

"It's all true."

"I still don't think I can do it, though. Not for a long time. It's not the same feeling I had when I first tried to kiss Wally after the attack. I…I don't know how to explain it."

"Maybe because Terror was the first who…did more than kiss you."

"How long do you think it'll take before I'm okay to do more than just kiss?"

"However long it takes. You two are, what, two months into the relationship? He can wait."

"How long would you wait?"

"For a girl like you? Forever."

I hugged him tighter, releasing my grip only when I figured I needed to get to my own room. He followed me, ready to help me get to sleep.

It was still flurrying in Wonderland, huge, fluffy flakes drifting lazily down. I couldn't see the others, but I could hear them, laughing somewhere nearby. I lay down in the snow, letting myself be covered. The snow was white, innocent, untarnished, and it clung to me, like it was making me pure, too.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I don't own this show.

Chapter 12

"Who are these guys?" I asked Green Arrow, eyes never leaving the group of teens and men dressed in camouflage pants and black shirts.

"Satan's Army. Notorious street gang. Originated in Manhattan but has been gaining strength since the mid-90s. A chapter started here few months back, but they kept low, enough so that only the lowest-ranking members were caught. Last week, though, one of them cracked. Gave over some very important information about a deal going down between them and Imperial Region, a grass-roots terrorist organization. The Region is offering the Army one hundred grand for their services."

I whistled. "That's a lot of money for one chapter of a gang."

"The Star City chapter is only acting as representatives for the whole gang. If they agree with the Region, over 75,000 gangbangers are in cahoots with the terrorists."

"And it's just you and me expected to handle this?"

"The police are in wait; we can't afford to scare off the Region. Besides, it's only a select few from each group, maximum of twenty guys per side. The leaders, the second-in-commands, and cronies."

"I thought the high-ranking guys always avoided being directly involved."

"Not in a case like this. It's some sort of respect thing, the leaders meeting with one another. Besides, less can go wrong if the ones in charge are negotiating with one another."

"When do we attack?"

"As soon as the Region shows. Shouldn't be too long now."

"Who's the more important target?"

"Army—if word gets to the rest of the gang, Hell breaks loose in the city. The Region spread itself pretty thin, has no major reserves stationed nearby. The main goal is to take down the leaders—Dante's Sergeant Major has red flames on the back of his shirt and horn tattoos; Supreme Master wears white while the others wear red or black."

"I'll take Dante's Sergeant Major." Shifting to get a better view of the warehouse, I thought I saw my target, shouting orders at one of his followers. He was young, maybe younger than me, and I felt a pang of sorrow.

"So, Artemis," Green Arrow began, discomfort clear in his voice, "are you and Wally…okay?"

I practically dropped my bow. Regaining composure, I demanded, "What are you talking about? We're just fine."

"It's just, well, Barry said he's been acting weird."

"You and Barry really need to stop being mother hens. There's nothing for me to be mad about."

"We don't think it's an argument."

"What, then?"

He shifted from one foot to another, buying time. "Wally's been…reserved. When Barry tried to talk to him, he flipped and marched away without another word. Wally's not like that."

"Then maybe something happened in school," I offered, refusing to look at him. "Why does it have to involve me?"

"We were boys, too, once upon a time. We know the reaction when something goes wrong with a girlfriend. When there's a…hitch in the relationship."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He suddenly found something excruciatingly interesting about his weapon. As he fiddled with it, he asked, "Did you and Wally do something you weren't ready for?"

That time, I really did drop my bow. Hastily picking it up, I tried to cover myself, but I ended up stuttering something unintelligible.

"I _knew _it," Green Arrow fumed. "I'm gonna kill that little—"

"It wasn't Wally's idea," I interrupted. "And it wasn't sex. And it didn't happen because I couldn't go through with it."

The wind picked up a bit, its whistling the only sound in the night.

"Oh." I could feel his eyes on me, but I kept my concentration on my target. "Well, that's good. I mean not _good_, but you knew not to do anything you weren't ready for. So good. But, uh, um, if you need to talk about…you know…stuff…um…Dinah's really good for that."

"Thanks, Ollie," I mumbled, breathing deeply through my nose, hoping to steady my shaking hands.

"And, er, if you want to talk to me, I'm…I'm always here. I just figured…you know…girl stuff and all."

"I know," I told him quietly.

Before the conversation could get any more awkward, the Region arrived.

"Okay, Artemis. I want you to launch a trick arrow while I establish a zip line. Once we're in, I'll go after the Region; you stick with the Army. Do not lose Dante's Sergeant Major. Everyone in the Region has a gun, but only a few in the Army has one, so be on guard. All you have to do is hold out until the police come as backup, okay?"

Nodding, I notched an exploding arrow and let it fly. As the men tried to get their bearings, GA and I burst in. The Region opened fire and fled down the stairs, GA right behind them. Preparing myself for hand-to-hand combat, I turned my attention to Dante's Sergeant Major.

"Welcome to Hell, child," he purred. Snapping his fingers, he growled, "Go!"

A group of teens charged me, brandishing stiletto blades. I easily took them down, getting only a small scratch on my torso. I had no time to celebrate, though—I bullet went whizzing by, way to close. Sneering, I faced a man that had to be a lieutenant or something, and as he took another shot, I dropped to the floor and kicked his legs out from under him. He landed with a thud.

"Well down." The cold metal of a gun found the back of my skull. "But not quite good enough."

"Screw you," I spat.

The gun was pressed tighter to my skull. "Silence, insolent girl."

I did as I was told, but only because I was trying to figure out a plan. From the sound of it, a shoot-out was going on downstairs; I couldn't risk waiting for backup. If I moved fast enough, I could bring him down—

"You are such a pretty girl."

I froze and lost my opportunity. As another soldier grabbed my hands, Dante's Sergeant Major came to face me, the gun never leaving my skin. "Such a shame you will not be recognizable when we were done with you." Addressing his men, he asked, "Who is ready to earn a gun?"

Cheering and wolf whistling followed from each member—all except one.

"But…but she's just a kid," the boy I'd seen earlier protested. He seemed even younger up close.

His leader rolled his eyes. "And?"

"We can't…we can't kill her."

Without hesitation, he whipped around and brought the gun against the teen's face. "Someone needs a reminder in obedience. Twenty Man Stomp when we return to base. Now, though, we deal with the archer."

He faced me once more, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"No!"

Faster than I thought possible, the kid had his blade against the devil wannabe's throat. Hissed threats and jeers erupted from his so-called family. The guy holding me loosened his grip, just a bit.

"You stupid bastard," the leader barked. "You will be killed for this, you understand?" His gaze finally left me and landed on his captor. "You—"

He never finished that thought. A swift kick stunned the one behind me, and I launched myself at Dante's Sergeant Major. An upper-cut to the jaw surprised him, allowing me to slam his hand on the ground. Without his weapon, he was nothing.

The rest of the gang, minus the lone, stupidly brave boy, came after me, but they had no chance to attack because the police had finally finished with the Region and were storming upstairs. As they forced the gansters into submission, I turned to the boy, already on his knees with his hands behind his head.

"Hey," I whispered, dropping to the floor.

"Hi."

"What's your name?"

"Matthew."

"I really owe you for what you did. That was so brave."

"You're welcome."

"How old are you?"

He straightened up. "Eighteen."

"Try again."

"Seventeen?"

"Give me the truth."

Sighing, he muttered, "Thirteen."

"Thirteen?" I repeated. "And you thought it would be a good idea to join a gang?"

"I had no choice," he insisted softly. "My parents abandoned me a few years back. I had nowhere else to go. I was starving on the streets when I was approached by one of the soldiers. He said I would have food, a home, a family. And I…I believed him." Scratching his arm uncomfortably, he continued, "I don't…I don't like violence, but I didn't know what else to do. And it's not bad all the time. Just, just most."

He looked at me, and I was taken aback. His eyes were three shades too light, but there was something about them that reminded me of Cam. The sad, kind of puppyish expression that he'd get every time the topic turned to family. And it hurt because they were so similar, good kids who were so desperate for love and acceptance that they'd do anything to get it.

"I'm going to juvie, aren't I?"

The answer was yes, according to the law, anyway. But I couldn't let that happen because he wouldn't last a second there, not after betraying his gang.

Gently placing my hand on his shoulder, I said, "You just saved a hero. I think that calls for immunity."

"Not a chance." The chief-of-police, an arrogant SOB, marched toward us. "This little runt's getting sent till he's eighteen."

Standing, I snarled, "No, he's not."

"You have no authority." Calling to Green Arrow, he demanded, "Tell your sidekick to mind her place."

Approaching us, he crossed his arms over his chest. "First, she's my protégé, not sidekick. Secondly, what exactly does she want?"

"Matthew had my back," I explained. "I want him granted immunity."

Nodding, GA stated, "That seems reasonable."

The chief was flabbergasted. "But—"

"In fact, not only do I want him granted immunity, I want him to be given a good home. A real one. That's a task I'm giving to you specifically. And if it does not happen soon, you will no longer have a job. Understand?"

Grudgingly, he accepted, motioning for Matthew to follow him. As he did so, he mouthed, _Thank you_.

"So, Artemis," Ollie began as we were leaving, "how'd that kid help you out?"

"I was fighting one of the guys and Dante's Sergeant Major pulled a gun. Matthew distracted him with his knife long enough for me to get my act together."

He just nodded, and we walked in silence all the way to the zeta-beam transporter.

"That offer to talk still stands, you know," he murmured. "It always will."

"I know." On an impulse, I gave him a quick hug. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now get home—you have school tomorrow."

Rolling my eyes playfully, I obeyed.

_Well, well, well, _the voice sneered. _Brave Artemis needs help from a street urchin. How pathetic. Wasn't there a time when you never needed anyone's help? When the taunts from the bad guys didn't faze you? Rock bottom's getting closer and closer, isn't it? _

"Shut up," I growled.

_And do you really think doing what you did for Matthew makes up for not helping Cam? They're similar, but they're not the same. You could've insisted that Cam get sent to a juvenile facility after the first jailbreak. But you cared so much about your reputation that your were too afraid to show any loyalty to the other side. So you just left him. What do you think happened to him in there? Joar beat on him for every little mistake—what do you think he did after the failure? What do you think the others did?_

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I grabbed my communicator and waited impatiently for Cam.

"Hey, Artemis."

"Hey."

"How was patrolling?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

Sighing, I related the story, ending with, "I can't believe this happened."

"What?"

"Freezing up when the creep said what he said? I can't do that; I know better than that. If Matthew hadn't pulled out his knife, I'd probably be dead now."

"You wouldn't."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're a damn good fighter and you know how to get out of tough situations."

"But I shouldn't have reacted that way. I normally wouldn't have been fazed, but…" Running my fingers through my hair in frustration, I continued, "I hate that Terror did this to me. That he can still have power over me."

"Don't let him."

"Easier said than done."

"Artemis, you are a pretty girl. Hell, you're gorgeous. So don't associate that with Terror. Next time anyone says something like that, just take the compliment and kick ass. And don't beat yourself up over this. Mistakes happen. All that matters is everything worked out."

"Thank you," I muttered. After a moment, before I lost my nerve, I said, "Look, Cam, I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I could have tried to get you sent to juvie after the first jailbreak, but I didn't."

"Artemis, it's no big deal."

"It is. You didn't deserve to be in prison. I know…I know it couldn't be easy, afterwards."

"So I took a few beatings. I've taken them before. And Dad made sure no one went too far, you know, like killing me." After a moment, he asked, "Where'd this come from?"

"Matthew reminded me of you."

"Ruggedly handsome with a great sense of humor?"

"Sweet."

"Oh."

"And I could help him out but I didn't help you and it's not fair. And I'm sorry."

"Artemis, don't worry about it. You did what you had to do, and I'm not mad. It's okay. I swear."

I let the matter drop, but I couldn't erase a nagging feeling in my gut or the voice mockingly saying, _Thank God he's a better friend to you than you are to him._


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: This show is still not mine.

Chapter 13

We were hanging around the training arena, waiting for Black Canary. Robin was in the midst of showing Cam some of his acrobatic moves, which Cam insisted on trying, much to our amusement.

"Okay, this stuff is not easy," Cam mumbled, sitting up after his latest failure.

"Oh, really?" Robin smirked and offered him a helping hand. "Stick to cryokinetics, Snow Boy."

"Oh, wow, great name."

"Hey, it's not my fault you don't have a hero name yet."

"You know, I should probably figure that out. A hero name, I mean."

Robin jumped right on that. "I'm still sticking with Glacier."

"No way," Raquel protested. "We are not calling him Glacier."

"It's better than Iceberg."

"Is not! Iceberg is so good!"

"Um, I'm a super villain turned superhero," Cam pointed out. "Probably shouldn't be named after something that killed over a thousand people."

"Huh. Touché."

"Maybe Blizzard," Zatanna suggested.

"Like that thing from Dairy Queen?" Wally asked.

The magician rolled her eyes. "No, like the type of snow storm. Seriously, is food the only thing on your mind?"

"Um, yeah! Speedster metabolism." Tapping his chin in thought, he proposed, "Freezo."

I shook my head. "Lame."

"And it sounds like he's a cheap Mr. Freeze knock-off," Robin added. "How 'bout Arctic?"

"Just Arctic?" Connor asked.

"Yeah."

"No."

"Perhaps Antarctica," Kaldur offered.

"Too long," I objected. "Plus he probably shouldn't be named after a place."

"Maybe you should stay with Icicle," Connor said.

"Um, dude, that's the name I'm trying to get away from."

"No. You're trying to get away from Icicle _Junior_."

"So you're saying I should stick it to my dad?"

Connor nodded solemnly, but a smile was playing on his face. "Exactly."

"I like the way you think. But it's probably best if I get as far away from the other ice villain as possible."

"You know, this would be a whole lot easier if there weren't so many of you," Wally insisted.

"There are five of us. Two, if you only count inherent powers."

"Yeah, but they already took all the good names." He paused, then burst out laughing. "Frosty!"

Cam groaned. "NO!"

Megan blinked in bewilderment. "What's so bad about Frosty?"

"It's the name of a cartoon snowman in a Christmas special," Cam explained, scowling at Wally.

"C'mon, it's perfect!"

"I am NOT being named after a snowman! I will have no street cred whatsoever! Do you want me to be beat up?"

"Your name right now is Junior—you _have _no street cred. And we're heroes, so getting beat up is part of the job description."

"Do you know how many children will be traumatized if they hear that Frosty is going to save them and instead of a talking snowman they get an ice-encased teen with spikes all over?"

Giggling, Zatanna said, "You know, you could manipulate the ice so it makes you look like a snowman. The kids would love you."

"And the villains would die from laughter," added Robin.

Raquel suddenly jumped up. "I got it—Abominable Snowman!"

"Really?" Cam inquired dryly.

"C'mon, it's good."

"She's right," Wally agreed. "You'd so get street cred for that."

Cam crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the floor. "I'm not being named after a monster."

There was a familiar pained expression creeping over his face, and I knew we had to change topics and fast. "Calm down, Frost Bite," I jokingly chided. "No one's calling you a monster."

"Frost Bite?" Zatanna asked.

"It was my nickname for him when we were kids."

"Maybe that could be his name," Megan proposed.

"Doesn't exactly scream _hero_." What I didn't say was that I didn't want anyone else calling him that. It was something between just the two of us, something I didn't want to share.

"Okay, we need to focus," Robin said. "Something ice-related that doesn't include the word freeze, frost, cold, or icicle."

"Why not Ice?" Connor suggested.

"Ice." Wally gave him a long look. "Cadmus didn't teach you what creativity was, did it?"

"Look, it's simple and straight-to-the-point. And it's not like we have any better ideas."

"You know," Raquel mused, "he might be on to something. I like it."

"Same," I agreed. I turned to Cam. "What do you think?"

"Ice." He said it slowly, like he was trying it out. "Yeah. Yeah, that'll work."

"So Cam officially has his hero name?"

We whipped around to the entrance of the room. Black Canary was walking towards us, smiling. Placing one arm around Cam's shoulders, she said, "Now Star City can be introduced to its newest hero."

After a few seconds of processing, the news sunk in. "He is to be your new protégé?" Kaldur asked.

"Not protégé, exactly, since I can't train him on his powers, but he will be patrolling with me. It'll be good for him to get experience before the Team gets its next mission."

"Oh my God, Cam, this is great!" I threw my arms around him. The rest of the Team followed my lead, gathering around and congratulating him.

"Alright, guys, time to train," Canary intervened. "There will be plenty of time to celebrate later."

Throughout combat practice, I could only think about Cam becoming a hero—officially, anyway—and how far we'd come from our days working under our dads and swearing to find a way out. The more I thought about it, though, the more I got the feeling I was missing something, or forgetting something, or—

And then I remembered. Last Saturday. Cam had started to say, "Guess what?" He'd known that he was going to be working with Canary, but he'd never got around to telling me.

As Wally and Kaldur stood to spar, I maneuvered myself so I was next to Cam. Keeping my voice as quiet as possible, I murmured, "How long have you known that this was going to happen?"

Keeping his voice equally low, he explained, "She told me last Friday night."

"You were going to tell me last weekend, weren't you?"

"Yeah. But then, you know, stuff happened and you had bigger things on your mind."

I winced a bit at that. "Just because I was worrying about stuff doesn't mean I don't care what's going on with you. You're so important to me, Cam. I want to hear when good things are happening. It doesn't always have to be about me."

"Okay." He flashed me his grin. "You want a full update tonight?"

"Of course. You forget any little detail and I'll kick your ass."

"Oh, I'm sooo scared," he mocked, nudging me. "What are you going to do to me, Rapunzel? Whip me with your hair?"

"Rapunzel," I repeated. I let out a small laugh. "God, when was the last time you called me that?"

"Probably the last time you called me Frost Bite." He was quiet for a moment. "We had some pretty good times, despite everything."

"Yeah, we did. Like the time we were waiting for our dads to get back and ended up sneaking into a movie."

"And when we got back to the hideout, we convinced them we'd been there the whole time practicing stealth."

"Or when we were on guard duty and spent the whole night looking at the stars."

"Or the time you tried to teach me to use the bow and arrow."

"You did pretty okay."

"Until I accidently shot Dad in the leg."

"It was only a flesh wound."

"Try telling him that. He still won't let me live that one down."

"Remember that Christmas Eve when we got our dads to end training early and spent the rest of the night walking around Star City?"

"'Course I remember. It was the only time there was ever snow for Christmas."

"We snuck in to the skating rink and then went through the light show."

"And then we passed the ice cream shop and that nice lady gave us a free Peppermint Explosion sundae."

"'A treat for young love,'" I quoted, smiling.

"Young love," Cam repeated. There was something in his tone I couldn't quite place, but before I could think about it, Wally came crashing in between us.

"I was so close!" he whined, looking up at me. "I almost beat him that time!"

"I know," I lied, because I hadn't been paying any attention to the fight. Leaning down, I kissed his forehead and helped him sit up.

"Alright, guys," Canary said. "Good session. You can head out."

We did so immediately, the others quickly jumping back on the topic of Cam's debut.

"Do you have a uniform?" Raquel asked.

"Uh, no?"

"You don't?"

"What's wrong with pants and a shirt? The whole skin-tight outfit isn't my thing."

Connor nodded approvingly and raised his hand for a high-five.

"Well, a little advice," Wally began. "Do not try to flirt with any of the girls you save. Because some have very aggressive boyfriends who happen to be standing just a few feet away."

"And when was the last time that happened, Bay Watch?" I demanded.

"Many, many, _many_ months ago," he assured me.

Shaking his head at us, Robin told Cam, "Show no fear whatsoever. Stay totally traught—act like you're bored the whole time you're fighting. That'll really piss the villains off."

"Be conscious of your surroundings," Kaldur advised. "Do not be lost in battle lust or the thrill of the moment. And never forget that the lives of the civilians are more valuable than the capture of the enemy."

"Most of all, don't suck," I warned.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said.

We spent the rest of the day swapping stories of the best and worst moments ever in action. When it was time for Cam to start patrol, we gave last-minute tips and boosts of confidence before watching him and Canary leave.

"How do you'll think he'll do?" Megan asked.

"He'll do great," I answered. "He'll do great."

And when he contacted me that night, his voice overflowing with excitement as he told me everything, I knew I was right.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

According to the Internet, Black Canary resides in Star City, at least in this show. That's what I'm going on.


	14. Chapter 14

AN: 100 reviews! Yay! Thanks, everyone!

Disclaimer: The things that I own don't make me any money.

Chapter 14

"Your mission is simple," Batman was telling us. "Observe and report. This is recognizance only—you are _not _to engage in any combat whatsoever unless in dire circumstances. Is that clear?"

We all nodded.

"The Cult of the Kobra is planning a deal with the Italian Mafia," he explained, bringing up the stats on both groups. "They are meeting in New York City. You will receive the coordinates once you are on your way. The Cult is planning to trade the upgraded Venom, but it is unclear what it desires from the Italians. However, considering the respect it is showing by conferencing in Mafia territory, the trade-off is impressive. Again, recognizance only. It cannot be assured that League assistance will be possible, and it is too risky to allow you to fight the Cult and the Mafia without definite backup."

We nodded once more and made our way to the bioship. Aqualad, Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, and Miss Martian were all somber, strange before most missions but not now, not when a rematch with the Cult was on their minds. What went down at Santa Prisca way back in June was something none of them had forgotten. The rest of us, affected by the mood, were quiet as well.

Ice finally spoke: "So, no fighting?"

"Nope," Kid said. "Observe and report only, just like Batman said."

"So we're basically spies?"

"Pretty much."

"Do we start all missions like we're heading to a funeral?"

"We've faced the Cult of the Kobra before," Megan explained softly.

"It didn't go well?"

"We were _not _feeling the aster." Robin moved in his seat so he was looking at Ice. "It was our first real mission as a team, and we lacked a clear leader."

"And more time was spent trying to prove superiority in leadership than focusing on the necessary actions," Aqualad continued.

Shrugging, Ice countered, "So just don't suck this time around."

"Brilliant advice," Kid muttered.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence.

"Okay, this is it," Robin said, pointing to a hotel. "Bring the ship down on the next rooftop over, Miss M."

As she did so, Rocket questioned, "So why exactly is an illegal exchange going down in what has to be a five-star hotel?"

"It's the Mafia," Zatanna stated simply. "It has major claims in all black market dealings—it can practically buy anything it wants."

"And it's the perfect cover," Kid mused. "Buy up the hotel, if only for the night, fill it up, and make the swap away from everyone before joining the party. Even if anyone had the balls to go after the Mafia, there are enough witnesses to claim that nothing happened."

Aqualad surveyed the site, deep in thought. "Such an arrangement has increased the difficulty of the mission. Kid Flash, please check how many floors are occupied."

Slipping on his infrared goggles, Kid revealed, "All of them. Top three floors are the least occupied, but it only gets more and more crowded as you descend."

"So the meeting is on one of the bottom floors," I deducted. "The question is, which one?"

"We could infiltrate," Ice suggested. "Someone dress up to the nines, stalk through the place till the Cult is found."

"Too risky," Robin objected. "The Mafia wouldn't be willing to trust just anyone; all these people inside are someone in the Family or close associates. Someone will be watching to make sure no uninvited guests get in."

"Then what do we do?" Zatanna asked. "Sneaking in would be almost impossible."

"But I believe it is our only option," Kaldur stated solemnly. "Still, I find much chance of mistakes if all of us enter."

Kid Flash nodded in agreement. "There's no way that would stay combat-free. Maybe Miss Martian can go invisible and Zatanna can use… you know—"

"Magic," she supplied smugly.

Rolling his eyes at the word, he continued, "To disguise herself. It's the best we can do."

Superboy crossed his arms over his chest. "Just the two of them to handle this? No way."

"They will not be the only ones involved," Kaldur assured him. "But they must be sent as a preliminary force. Once the targets are found, we enter through the least-occupied zones and prepare to act as backup." Turning to Miss Martian and Zatanna, he asked, "Are you comfortable with the plan?"

"Please." Zatanna smirked, something she must have gotten from Robin. "We can totally handle this."

"Very well. Kid Flash, which floor has the least number of people?"

"Top. The side farthest from us has practically no one. That's where you need to enter."

"Got it."

"Be careful," Kaldur instructed quietly. "The mind link, please."

_Established. Everyone on line?_

_ Holy crap!_

_ Welcome to the mind link, Frost Bite._

_ I am here._

_ Ditto._

_ You have me._

_ Yup._

_ Here, girl._

_ Let's bust this operation._

As the two girls took off, Aqualad addressed the rest of us: _Stay on constant alert; be prepared to intervene at any moment._

No one responded—no one needed to. We were tense, nervous, because anything could go wrong. There was a lot at stake this time around, a lot of people who gave no concern for life or death. All of us were completely focused—

_Damn. That girl is _sweet!

_Cam!_

He whipped his head toward me. _Why were you listening to my thoughts?_

_ Dude, it's a mind link_, Kid pointed out. _We hear everything you think. How did you think it worked?_

_ I don't know, you only heard what I wanted you to hear?_

_ No, we hear _everything_. So, um, what girl are you looking at, exactly?_

_ WALLY!_

_ It's pure curiosity, babe. I swear._

_ The one that's walking down the street from that night club._

_ Wow. She looks h…she looks like a hooker. She must have no self-respect whatsoever. And any girl who has to dress like that must be an awful, awful person._

_ How much of that do you really think I believe?_

_ All of it?_

_ Forget that girl, _Rocket interrupted. _Look at the ones standing outside the movie theater. There is no way those are real._

_ What can't be real? _Miss Martian questioned.

_Uh, nothing._

_ Who cares if they're real or not? I don't discriminate._

_ CAM!_

_ I am a single seventeen-year-old guy. I can think whatever I want!_

_ Not when we can hear you! Besides, none of the others guys ever think like this._

_ First, they're all dating one of you. Second, Kaldur too damn respectful to think like this, Connor probably doesn't even get what's going on, and Robin's thirteen. So that just leaves Wally, and even he has to be smart enough not to think this stuff when you're around._

_ Hey! _Wally objected at the same time Robin went_, Why is it that because I'm the youngest I can't do anything?_

_ So you _do _think about other girls? _Zatanna demanded.

_No! I only think about you! _Seeming to realize what he'd thought, he mumbled, _Let's pretend this conversation never happened_.

_Agreed. _Aqualad sounded exasperated and slightly horrified but also a little amused. _Miss Martian, Zatanna, how are you faring? _

_ Okay. First five floors have nothing but drunken guests speaking broken English, _Zatanna reported.

_Very well. Alert us as soon as—_

He was cut off by screaming. Our attention to the streets, we saw men clad in black attacking people with bats and tire irons.

_What the Hell? _Ice seethed, hands gripping the top of the building in anger. _Where did they come from?_

_ No clue. _Superboy cracked his knuckles. _But I know what's going to happen to them._

_ Wait, _Aqualad instructed. _The mission cannot be jeopardized—_

_ And those people can't be killed_! Ice spat._ We can't do nothing!_

_ Very well. You and Superboy tend to the civilians._

_ I'll go down, too,_ I insisted, already establishing a zip line. _My bow will be more useful in the open than in the confines of the hotel._

_ Go quickly, and return once all perpetrators have been apprehended._

We did as commanded, Ice following me on the zip line and Superboy jumping down. The Mafia lackeys, or whoever the heck they were, seemed to multiply. One was replaced by two, two replaced by three. None had descent fighting skills, but they had the weapons to take down anyone who got in their way.

"Who are these guys?" Ice demanded, knocking one out with an icicle to the head.

"Don't know, don't care," Superboy answered, throwing one into the ground.

"No! No! Please!"

One of the men raised his bat above a cowering woman. I notched an exploding arrow and let it fly. Letting the weapon drop, he hightailed it into an apartment building, seemingly under renovations. High on adrenaline, I pursued him.

The building, thank God, was empty save for me and the creep. Listening to his footsteps—why were they so fricking loud?—I raced up the stairs, flight after flight. He wouldn't get away.

The footsteps stopped. I was on his floor. Brandishing my weapon, I waited, taking cautious steps. Anxiety settled in my stomach as I tried to find him. How could he just disappear like that?

And then I heard it: a single squeak of the floorboard. Whirling around, I released the arrow, which in turn released a net. He went down with a single grunt.

"Not so tough, are you?" I taunted, admiring my work.

Suddenly, my confidence was transformed into fear as he just ripped though the net like it was paper. I struggled to reload, but he'd already launched himself onto me. My bow went skidding.

As he pinned me down, his knees pressing into my thighs, his hands bruising my arms, he raised his head to look at me. From underneath the black hood came a face from my nightmares.

"Hey there, pretty girl."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

You probably thought I didn't use cliffhangers, didn't you?


	15. Chapter 15

Higher T.

Disclaimer: Own this show? Don't make me laugh.

Chapter 15

"Terror," I chocked.

Smiling that wolfish smile, he asked, "You miss me?"

"Rot in Hell," I snarled, struggling underneath his weight, trying to keep my composure when all I was thinking was _No, no, no, no, no!_

_Artemis?_ Kaldur's voice rang in my mind. _What is wrong?_

_ Tommy Terror has me trapped in the building that's under renovations. One of the top floors._

And then I cut the link. It was a stupid move—you can't just accidently remove yourself, so they would have to be wondering what was going on—but I didn't care. All that mattered was keeping what was happening to myself and getting out of the situation.

"I missed you," he murmured, leaning down to kiss my forehead. I turned my face and growled. "Aw, don't be like that. You know you liked it."

"Screw you."

"Well, that is to be the plan." He chuckled darkly, moving his legs so he was straddling me instead. Squeezing himself around my waist, he whispered, "You were so good, you know that? Once you were calm and all."

"What are you even doing here, Terror?" I demanded, swallowing the bile creeping up my throat. I had to distract him however long I could. "I didn't think you'd play lackey for anyone."

"I ain't got much of a choice, not when the whole damn League's after my hide. Word spread real fast that the break went south. I spent my time waitin' it out. Then I was approached by the Cult. Said they could use a strong man like me."

"To beat up on civilians?" I sneered.

"To help them finish their deal. See, they know the League's got them tracked, so they made a plan with the I-talians. The head of the Family paid the bail for a bunch of small-time criminals. Them and me, we were suppose to lure your baby Justice League out of hiding. And will you look at that? It worked."

My facial expression must have changed because he laughed. "Right now, your friends are getting ripped apart. We 'lerted the Mafia long ago. They all busy now trying not to die that none of them is gon' save you."

"I don't need to be saved," I spat.

"Last I 'member, Popsicle was the one that rescued you. Or did I just imagine that?"

"The Team will find me," I told him, tensing. "And they'll kick your ass all the way back to Belle Reve."

"I wouldn't bet on that. I'll be long gone 'fore anyone comes along. And of course you won't tell them nothing."

"What the Hell does that mean?"

"If they'da known what'd happened last time, I'd be in prison right now. So you musta kept your pretty little mouth shut. I'm real grateful for that."

"I didn't do it for you," I hissed.

"Oh, I know. But I still owe you." Leaning next to my ear, he whispered, "Maybe I'll pleasure you this time, to be fair."

That was all the motivation I needed to bring my knees up, ramming into him. He gasped in agony and momentarily lost his hold on me. I took no time in scrabbling from underneath him.

"No you don't!" His hand closed around my ankle, bringing me to the floor. Kicking at him with my free foot, I connected with the side of his face. He howled in rage but didn't release his grip. "You gon' pay for that!"

"Not a chance!"

He pulled me closer to him, so I brought my nails across his face and then elbowed him in the throat. Coughing, his fingers slackened, prompting me to kick him hard in the chest and jerk from his grasp. I immediately got to my feet and tried to run, but my ankle was numb, allowing me only a stagger. Seeing his prize getting away, Terror growled and chased after me, grabbing me harshly by the shoulders and throwing me down in the same movement. He then pressed his knees into my back.

"Someone's being a naughty girl," he mocked, pulling my head by my ponytail, forcing me to look at him. "I guess you'll be needing a spankin'."

I spat in his eye.

Stone-faced, he cleaned himself off. "You got a real problem with your mouth, you know that?" Grabbing me roughly by my chin with his other hand, he mused, "I think I'll just put it to good use this time around."

"No way that's going to happen" I snapped.

"How cute. You still think you gots some control of what's happening. Look, I'll make you a deal: you can choose what you want to happen first. I'm a gentleman, after all."

I answered with a glare.

"Fine. You won't take advantage of my kindness, then I'll pick."

Easing himself off of me, he forced me onto my back. His knees once again found my thighs. Using his left arm, he pinned me down while his right hand drifted down to my pants, his fingers slipping between the fabric and my skin.

"Wait!" I shrieked.

Amused eyes focused on me. "Yes?"

"Please, don't." I was begging and it was pathetic and degrading but I didn't _care_ because I couldn't let him rape me, not again. "Please, I've…I've got a boyfriend." I was searching for some humanity, some decency. "Please, just let me go. Please."

"Aw, pretty girl don't want no one but her beau. How precious." He gently stroked the side of my face, and it took all my self-control not to bite him. "Don't you worry your pretty little head—he won't know a thing 'bout this. I won't tell, and I know _you _won't tell." Smirking, he continued, "Look at it this way—you're getting _practice_ at this kind of stuff. Don't you wanna be good for him?"

"I wanted to be a _virgin_ for him," I snarled, my anger consuming me.

He chuckled. "No guy cares if you a virgin or not. Trust me. All that matters is how much you're willing to do for him. And once I'm done with you, you'll be able to do _plenty_."

"You're a sick bastard, you know that?" Tears were threatening to spill, but I refused to let them. "You can't get a girl willingly so you have to force one?"

"Willingly? Why would I want one willingly? Ain't no fun in that. See, the real fun comes from this." He kissed my neck, and I shuddered. "The reactions. The struggles. The fear. The _power_. I lust for domination. And dominating a girl like _you_, well, ain't nothing compares to that. You suppose to be a big, strong Miss In-de-pen-dent. But I can make you grovel, can't I?"

"You're a cocky son-of-a-bitch, aren't you?"

"I need to prove my point?" Elbows digging into my upper arms, he rested his hands on my chest. Fingers dancing along the fabric, he sneered, "What now, hero?"

"Stop it!"

"Make me. Grovel for me, and maybe I'll stop."

That was a bold-faced lie. He wouldn't stop, not until he got what he wanted.

_Welcome to Rock Bottom, Artemis. I told you you'd end up here. And look—you're all alone. And no one's going to save you now._

Suddenly, the temperature dropped. Before either of us knew what was happening, a solid ball of ice crashed into Terror, knocking him off of me.

"Get the Hell away from her!" Ice was visibly shaking with rage as he approached the other boy.

"So Baby Icicle wants to play hero again," Terror jeered, getting to his feet. "I ain't going to go down so easily this time."

The only response was an onslaught of ice to the face.

Terror charged. Ice launched icicle after icicle, but it wasn't enough to stop the meta-human. He jumped onto Ice, who collapsed onto the ground under his weight.

"You won by luck last time," Terror hissed, "but not now. That little bitch is—"

He suddenly screamed and jumped back. The spikes on Ice's back were jutting from his body.

"You will _never _do _anything _to her _again_!" Ice punched him in the face before kicking him against the wall. As Terror gasped in pain, Ice froze him in place, screaming threats and curses. Even when he was subdued, Ice kept attacking, punching him again and again, causing Terror's head to continuously crack against the wall.

And part of me relished this because watching Terror suffer filled me with this sick and overwhelming joy. But I was scared, too, because Ice—Cam—wasn't being himself. Cam was the least-violent person I knew, and now he was acting like his dad. Like my dad. And I couldn't let him turn into that, not over me.

"Cam!"

He stopped dead. Quickly changing back to human form, he dropped to the floor and pulled me into a hug. Rocking me back and forth, he whispered, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I tried to get here faster but there were so many of them and I'm so sorry, Artemis, God, I'm so sorry."

"He didn't do anything," I assured him. "Nothing like before."

"I should have been here sooner," he protested.

"It's okay," I promised. "_I'm _okay." I thought for a moment. "Are you still on the mind link?"

"I don't think so. I knew…I knew you didn't want the others to know, so I pulled out, I think. I can't hear anyone."

"Okay." I hugged him closer. "Thank you, Cam."

"What are best friends for?" he murmured. He gave me a long look. "You sure you're okay?"

"Positive."

We sat in a contented silence, broken minutes later by a soft, "You guys okay?"

Practically jumping out of my skin, I removed myself from the embrace and faced Robin. He had a swollen lip and the makings of a bruise under his left eye, but other than that, he seemed alright.

"The Team's worried sick. You both severed the mind link."

"Sorry," I muttered. "Must've been so focused on the fighting and all."

He nodded, but I could tell he wasn't completely convinced. "Any injuries?"

"Not us. You guys?"

"Minor. Raquel may have a concussion, but that's really the worst of it. Pretty good, all considering we were against the Cult and the Mafia." He smiled cheekily. "Plus we managed to snag a sample of the Mafia's trade. Seems the Italians got into the "military-test-substances" black market as well. Wally's already trying to figure out what it does. Overall, pretty asterous." Looking past us, his face grew grim. Tapping his communicator, he said, "Kaldur? Yeah, I found Artemis and Ice. Alert a medic to get here, stat."

"Dude, we're fine," Cam insisted.

"You are, but he's not."

We followed where he was pointing. The side of Terror's face was dark purple and swollen, frost bitten from Cam's constant punches. A single streak of crimson dribbled from a spot on his skull, a contrast to his blonde hair.

Cam stared at his opponent wide-eyed, like he was seeing him for the first time. "I didn't…I didn't…"

Robin gently placed a hand on his shoulder, but the older boy still flinched. "It's alright. Happens to the best of us. Let's go back to the ship."

We followed his lead. The rest of the Team was right outside the building, anxiously waiting.

"Okay, who's hurt?" Wally demanded, inspecting us.

"Tommy Terror," Cam explained, avoiding eye contact. Without another word, he started walking in the direction of the bioship.

"What happened?" Connor asked.

"Cam took down Terror maybe a little more severely than necessary," I offered, making my way after Cam. The others trailed after us.

"Is he okay?" Megan questioned softly.

I had no idea which _he_ she was referring to.

"Yes."

Either way, my answer was a lie.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: All rights to the owners who, surprise, don't include me.

"_I wish I was strong enough to lift not one but both of us _

_Some day I will be strong enough to lift not one but both of us"_

_ ~Taylor Swift, "Both of Us"_

Chapter 16

We stood before Batman, Kaldur relaying the details of the mission. I should have been hyped—successful operation through-and-through—but I wasn't. My mind was still reeling over the encounter with Terror, and I couldn't focus on anything but Cam, uncharacteristically quiet and somber. Black Canary's presence didn't help, either; she was never at these kinds of status updates, which meant she was here solely for her partner. And the concern in her eyes indicated that she wasn't here to congratulate him. On the ride home, Kaldur had informed Batman of the…snafu. They knew Terror's hospital status. And it wasn't good.

"The Mafia's trade is being fully analyzed right now," I tuned into Batman saying. "Your ability to adapt to the situation deserves commendation. Overall, well done."

"What about Terror?" Cam's voice was raspy and barely audible. "Is he going to be okay?"

Batman and Canary shared the briefest glance before Canary gently explained, "The doctors say he is suffering from mild traumatic brain injury. There may be some permanent damage."

The Team turned to our newest member, shock and pity playing on their faces. Cam just lowered his head in shame.

"You should all get to sleep," Batman advised. "It's late."

With that, he left, Robin right behind him. The others dispersed, some heading home, others to their rooms at the Cave. Black Canary and Cam didn't move, and neither did I, because I wouldn't abandon him, not after everything.

Canary approached us, her gaze never leaving the cryokinetic. "Cameron—"

"They want to send me back to Belle Reve, don't they?"

"What?"

He looked at her, eyes shining with unshed tears. "What I did to him? That's a crime. And heroes don't commit crimes and I'm not cut out for this and they want to send me back _there _but I can't go back, please, I'm scared, please, anywhere else—"

"Cameron." Her voice was firm as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "You are _not _going back to Belle Reve. You will never have to go there again, okay? And it wasn't a crime—you were protecting Artemis. That's defense of a third person. That's what heroes do."

"I shouldn't have hurt him like that," he whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt him like that."

"I know you didn't, Cam." She hugged him tightly. "I know."

_He only did that because you were too damn stubborn to tell anyone, _the voice sneered. _The only reason Terror's in a hospital and not a prison is because your pride matters more to you than anything else. Even your best friend. If you just tell them why he freaked, everything would be fine because he had a _reason. _Now? Seeds of doubt. Maybe he is evil. Maybe, just maybe, he's beyond saving. You and me and him, we know the truth, that _you're _the one who needs help. But he won't tell, and you won't listen to me._

I hated that voice, so condescending and belittling and _right_. I should have told Black Canary everything, explained what the Hell had happened. But I didn't. I just watched her exit, leaving me alone with Cam.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

His only response was walking to the kitchen, moving like he was in a daze.

"Please, Cam, don't worry about this," I pleaded, trailing behind him. "It wasn't your fault."

He chocked out a laugh. "Really? Someone else turned Tommy Terror's brains into scrambled eggs? Thank God. I thought that was me."

"Cam, you were protecting me." I watched helplessly as he paced, taking slow, uneven steps. "Please. It's going to be alright."

"No it's not."

"Cam—"

"I'm a monster." Another laugh, just as humorless as the first. "Just like she said. 'You'll hurt people some day. That's all monsters are good at, hurting people.'" He visibly flinched at the memory.

"You're not a monster," I protested. "You—"

"Beat a guy _who couldn't fight back _so badly that he's got fricking brain damage!" The tears broke through, snaking down his cheeks. "You know who does that? My dad! Your dad! The bad guys!" Without warning, he punched the cabinet, hard enough to damage his hand. Sinking to the floor, burying his head in his hands, he breathed, "The monsters."

I knelt in front of him and wrapped my arms around him. "Cam, you aren't them. You're nothing like them. Please, Cam, you can't believe that. They don't feel guilt; they don't feel bad about anything they do. And they hurt and they torture for pleasure or money or just the fun of it. You didn't do that."

"But I still did it," he whispered. "I'm capable of doing what they do."

"So am I. So is anyone on this Team."

"But you _haven't _and they _haven't _and I _have_." Taking a shaky breath, he added, "I can't do anything right—I act like a hero when I'm a villain and a villain when I'm a hero. I'm stupid and pathetic and worthless—"

My stomach churned. Those were the words his dad used, the ones that were beaten into him, the ones he would quietly, brokenly repeat to himself when he thought I couldn't hear him. And a wave of guilt crashed over me because I'd been so worried about what was happening to me that I didn't take any time to think about how he was doing, completely altering his life for me. I just let him be my knight in shining army, fighting my dragons while his tore him down

"Cameron." I tilted his head so we were making eye contact. "You are not a monster. You are not our fathers. You are not stupid or pathetic, and you are _certainly _not worthless. If anyone has a reason to be a villain, to hate the whole damn world, it's you. But you don't. You're a good person. You are a hero. You are brave and smart and compassionate. You are not our fathers. You are not a monster." I wiped away the tears and kissed his forehead. "Please, Cam, you have to believe me."

"I want to."

Those three words broke my heart. I hugged him closer, cradling him against me as shudders rippled through his body. We sat there for an hour, maybe even longer, until Cam murmured, "We should probably get to sleep."

I stood and helped him to his feet, then steered him in the direction of his room. He needed Wonderland more than I did.

He crawled into bed, not even bothering to change out of his clothes. I sat on the edge and placed my hand on his shoulder. "You're going to be okay, Cam. It's all going to be okay."

He didn't answer; I didn't expect him to.

Running my fingers through his hair, I talked to him, tried to sooth him like he'd been doing for me. It was only when the slight quivers completely stopped and his breathing grew steady did I prepare to leave. Kissing the top of his head, I whispered, "You are a hero, not a monster."

Tiptoeing out of his room, I headed down the hall to my own. I didn't plan on sleeping that night—my mind was too consumed with thoughts of Terror, of falling into another nightmare, of Cam. For the first time, I realized that he wasn't invincible. I was seeing the cracks in his armor, the full extent of the pain ripping him apart from the inside out, and it hurt so damn badly.

"How could I not know?" I asked the empty room.

_Oh, you knew. _The voice was matter-of-fact. _You've always known, deep down. But when he jumped at the chance to save you, you accepted that. And you didn't bother to try and save him. Because you liked not having to be strong for once. Around him, you didn't have to be because he was strong enough for the both of you. But he can—could—only bear so much. And now he's shattered because all those bad words, those degradations, seem to be true. You and me, we know they're not. But he doesn't, and maybe he never will._

Sitting down heavily on my bed, I brought my knees to my chest and took a shaky breath.

"Artemis?"

My head snapped up. Black Canary was standing outside the open door.

"Can I come in?"

"Uh, sure."

She entered, almost hesitantly. I turned on the lamp so there was more light than just that provided by the little automatic lights that lined the hallway.

"It's late," she said softly.

"I was talking to Cam," I explained, avoiding eye contact. She was trying to play therapist, and I was just not in the mood.

"I'm actually glad you're still up. I need to talk to you."

My heart skipped a beat. "Why?"

"What really happened between you and Terror?"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Cam isn't the type to lose it. I've been training him long enough to know that. He's afraid to hurt people; he holds back, even when that goes against him. So I cannot believe that he would just snap like he did."

"He was protecting me." I couldn't keep the coolness out of my voice. "He's my best friend."

She focused on me then, her eyes softening and her face taking on a pained expression. God, what did she know?

"The apartment you were in had just installed cameras. I had the footage sent over from New York."

Swallowing the panic, I countered, "So you saw what Terror was doing to me. Is there really any question why Cam did what he did? I mean, Terror was acting like such a creep and Cam just wanted to keep me safe and—"

"Artemis." She was standing before me, taking my hands in her own, sorrow welling in her eyes. "There was also audio."


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. Not yet, anyway.

Chapter 17

The weight of her words hit me full force. She knew. Jesus Christ, she _knew_. I couldn't accept that, though, because I'd spent too long keeping this a secret. "So?"

"Artemis, I heard what he was saying to you. I—"

"All talk," I insisted hotly. "Just trying to act like a big man. It doesn't mean anything."

"Then why are you so upset?"

"I'm not upset!" I snarled, my voice cracking like it does when I'm about to cry.

"He raped you." It was a statement, a fact, a declaration of the truth. "Tommy Terror raped you."

Accepting that protesting would be futile, I whispered, "Yes."

"Oh, _Artemis_." She was hugging me now, clinging to me as though she was making sure I wouldn't suddenly disappear. "How did it happen?"

"He attacked me after patrol the night the jailbreak happened." My voice was emotionless. I was talking about some other girl, some victim I'd helped. Not me. It couldn't be me. "He knocked me unconscious and bound me. When I woke up, he raped me. I fought back, but it didn't matter." There was emotion coming through as the distance between me and this girl faded. "Cam was his partner for the break. He showed up and stopped Terror." I was crying bitterly, chocking on my words because the girl was me, would always be me, and I couldn't pretend any longer.

"I'm so sorry." Her tears slid down her face to mingle with mine. "Oh, God, Artemis, I'm so sorry."

"I'm okay."

"You don't have to try to be strong."

"I'm not trying," I protested, wiggling from her hold. "I am strong."

"That's not what I meant." She cupped my chin in her hand. "It's okay to be hurting. It's okay to be scared. You don't have to deal with this alone."

"I'm not; Cam's helping me."

"I know he is, but—" Realization seemed to strike her. "No one else knows."

"No."

"Not even your mom?" Disbelief hung from every word.

"She's got enough to worry about with an assassin daughter and criminal husband! She doesn't need to know about this!"

"Artemis, you need to tell."

"Why? Talking about it won't make it go away. It won't make anything any better. There's no point. I'm fine."

"So you're willing just to hide this for the rest of your life? From Ollie? Your mom? Your Team?"

"Yes. I've been doing just fine."

"From Wally?"

I clenched my teeth so hard it actually hurt. "Yes."

"He's your boyfriend, Artemis."

"Even more of a reason not to tell! He can't know…" _That I'm not a virgin. That he won't be my first. That I'm damaged. _"Look, I can handle this. I'm just fine."

"Artemis—"

"_Please_. Just let this go. I just want to get past this."

"I can't let this go." Gentle but firm. Her therapist voice. Of course. "You can't hide this forever. You'll feel better if you let it all out. Bottling up your feelings isn't healthy. You can't walk around like this nothing happened."

"Actually, I can, and I have."

"They have to know."

"What's that suppose to mean? It's not like you can just tell them."

She broke eye contact.

"You can't tell anyone! This is my life! You have no say!"

"Artemis, it's in your best interests. I want you to tell, but if you don't, I will. At least Ollie, anyway. He cares so much—"

"Get out."

"Artemis—"

"Get. Out."

She opened her mouth, then sighed. "Okay. I'll talk to you in the morning." Standing to leave, she whispered, "We all care about you, Artemis. Never forget that."

I just nodded and watched her leave.

_Well, well, well. What now, Artemis? Are you still determined to stay in Wonderland? Or are you ready to go home?_

"I'm fine," I assured myself, closing the door. I walked to my bureau and picked up the hand-held mirror. Taking a deep breath, I looked at myself, the first time in a long, long time. All I had to do was find myself. I just had to remind myself of who I was and I'd be just fine.

The girl I was observing had my face. But she wasn't me. Her lips weren't curled in a confident, snarky smile—they were trembling. And her storm grey eyes were sad and hurting, glistening with tears that were still stubbornly falling. This girl was terrified and broken, stumbling in Rock Bottom, ignoring reality and grasping blindly for a Wonderland. She couldn't be me; she was just that girl in the story I'd told Dinah. The story about that victim.

The story about me.

Growling, I threw down the mirror and stomped on it, shattering it into a thousand pieces. I jumped on it, the glass shrieking in pain from under me. A hundred thousand little pieces. A million. So small and unimportant.

In a fit of rage and insanity, I sank to the floor and grabbed at the glass, trying to rearrange it until it told me the truth and showed the real me because I was just _fine_, damn it.

The mirror sought its revenge by cutting me and embedding itself into my flesh. Whimpering, I buried my head in my hands, leaving small cuts along my cheeks. Blood dribbled down, merging with the tears. When it reached my lips, I thoughtlessly licked them clean. It tasted like that night. His blood, my blood.

And suddenly I was back in that warehouse, bound and struggling under Terror as he kissed me, touched me, toyed with me, raped me. I was his and his alone, nothing but his prize, his possession. I felt his hands all over me, prodding and pinching, and I felt himself, tearing me apart, stealing my purity.

"No, no, no, no, no." It was a chant, a plea. Over and over and over. "No, no, no, no."

"Artemis? Artemis?"

Another voice. Not mine. Not Terror's. But it wasn't real. Because no one else was in the warehouse. Just me and him.

"Oh, God, Artemis."

Strong arms embraced me. I stopped chanting. The warehouse was fading. He was gone.

The arms lifted me up, carried me out of the room to the kitchen and placed me on a stool.

"Are you okay?"

The voice that wasn't real, the voice that had to be real.

I think I nodded.

A warm cloth washed my face clean, tenderly removing the tiny shards. It then moved to my hands.

"What happened?"

I focused on Cam, eyes wide with concern. "Dinah knows," I deadpanned. "The apartment had cameras with audio. She had it sent from New York."

He didn't say anything for a while. "I…I'm sorry."

"She wants me to tell," I continued, tracing the little slices in my right hand. "She says I need to."

"You don't have to do it, if you don't want."

"I do," I whispered. I was tired of pretending. I wasn't getting better, not really. I was surviving. That wasn't the same as living. And I was leaning on Cam too much, giving him more burden than he could take. Because he was hurting, too, and he needed to heal in his own way.

"Okay."

"But…but I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"How they'll react. How they'll treat me afterwards. How they'll look at me."

"This changes nothing." He brushed a strand of loose hair from my face. "You are still you, Artemis."

"I'm not. I should be over this and I'm _not_."

"Would you tell any other girl she should be over this?"

"What?"

"If any other girl had been raped, would you tell her that she needed to get over it?"

"Of course not."

"So why is it different for you?"

"Because I'm a hero."

"But you're human. You're allowed to hurt and be scared. It doesn't make you weak. You're still freaking amazing." He hugged me and murmured, "But you're human, too."

I hadn't thought of it that way. If I were a hero, I wasn't human—I had to be above that, more than that. But maybe, just maybe, I could be both.

"Thanks, Cam." I glanced up at him. "Why were you up?"

"I…I couldn't sleep."

I held him closer. "I'm sorry." After a moment, I hesitantly asked, "Do you want to sleep alone?"

He shook his head. "No."

We stood and headed back to my room. Grabbing my phone from the drawer, I turned the volume up and set my alarm for seven o'clock. I slipped under the covers; he lay next to me, on top of them. We'd done this once before, when we were still too young for fieldwork and our dads were taking forever; we ended up falling asleep at the base, me using him as a pillow.

"If Wally finds us…"

"He won't," I said. "He never wakes up before eight."

We settled into a peaceful silence, comforted by the other's presence. There were demons to fight, dragons to slay, but they were at bay for the moment, and we took advantage of that.

Soon, I was asleep and in Wonderland. The wind was strong, whipping the snow around me. I walked into a clearing and found the others. They were all quiet, staring at me, and I knew that they knew. No one moved for a while. Then, gentle hands nudged me towards them. I turned and saw Cam with a small smile on his face.

I took a few steps forward, enough to prompt the others to rush to me, arms wide open.


	18. Chapter 18

AN: _DARK KNIGHT RISES_ MIDNIGHT PREMIERE TICKETS!

Disclaimer: Alas, this show does not belong to me.

Chapter 18

All too soon, Wonderland was replaced with reality as my phone blared relentlessly. Groaning, I sat up and fumbled to turn it to silence mode. As I crawled out of bed, I nudged Cam, who'd slept through the noise. "Wake up."

He promptly rolled over, grumbling, "Five more minutes."

"Now, Cam. You're in my bed, remember? If anyone walks in, we'd have a lot to explain."

When that didn't make him move, I reached over and jabbed him in the ribs. Letting out a mix between a gasp and a giggle, he fell out of bed. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Not cool!" he whined, getting to his feet.

"Not my fault you're ticklish."

He scowled and rubbed his eyes. "It was completely unnecessary."

"Oh, stop pouting."

"I don't pout!"

I just shook my head and tried to fix my ponytail. Cam watched, growing suddenly serious. "So…is there a plan?"

"I think I'll tell Green Arrow first, then Mom, then the Team." My voice was wavering, just the tiniest bit.

"If you want me there…"

"Thanks, Cam, but I think I have to talk to GA and Mom alone."

He nodded and walked to the door, saying, "I'll be in my room, if you need anything."

"Okay. Thanks."

I watched him leave, _Please stay _dancing on my tongue. I wanted him with me, to be by my side through everything. But I knew he couldn't be. This was something I had to do on my own, no matter how terrifying that idea was.

_You were never scared to do things on your own before. What happened, Artemis? When did you become a damsel in distress? I thought only weak girls needed knights in shining armor._

I growled and headed to my closet. That damn voice had better disappear as soon as the rape wasn't a secret anymore.

Once dressed, I walked to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Teeth brushed and face washed, I dared to glance at the mirror. The girl from the night before wasn't looking back at me, but neither was I, not really, anyway. She was tough, to be sure, but she was haunted, too, burdened.

"You're going to be fine," I murmured, talking to this girl, to myself, as I inspected the little red lines criss-crossing my cheeks. "You're going to be fine."

_Mirror, mirror, on the wall, do you know if she will fall?_

I forced myself away, down the hall and to the kitchen so I could wait for Dinah. I didn't have to wait very long.

"Hey Artemis." She sat next to me at the table. "Are you okay?"

"Better. Look, about last night—"

She raised her hand to stop me. "Don't worry about it. I know it wasn't…easy, listening to what I had to say. And I don't want you to do anything you don't feel comfortable doing, but I really think you have to talk about this."

"I know. I'm going to talk to Ollie right now."

"Good." She gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "Do you think you'll be okay to do this by yourself?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be alright." Thinking over the situation for a second, I hurriedly added, "The League probably has to know, or it'll find out, or whatever, so could you be the one to tell because I really, really don't think I'd be able to do that."

"Of course." She was quiet for a moment. "If you want me to go with you, I'd be more than happy to."

"I know." I tried to smile. "But I think this is something I have to do."

"Okay. And whenever you need to talk, I'll listen."

"I know. Thanks. I'll see you later."

And I was gone, just like that, because my legs were borderline jelly and if she kept talking any longer I would have lost my nerve. After zeta-ing to Star City, I called Ollie. It took three tries, but he finally picked up.

"Artemis?"

"Hi, Ollie."

"You know, most teenagers sleep later than 7:30 on the weekends."

"Sorry, it's just that I really need to talk to you. In person."

"What, another villain wants to become a superhero?"

"No. I…I just really need to talk to you."

"Oh. Oh, alright. Come right over."

"Thanks."

Taking a few deep breaths, I made my way to Ollie's, trying to play out the scenario in my head. All I got, though, was me telling him about the rape and him staring at me in shock. After that, the scene just faded into nothingness and started all over again.

"Hey, Artemis." He was a little disheveled, clearly unaccustomed to waking this early, and his face was grave, more serious than I'd ever seen before. "Come on in."

I somehow managed to do so, following him into his study. My attention went to the walls—pictures of his family, the League in civilian clothes, Roy as a kid. There are even a few of me, taken reluctantly after numerous, "Come _on_, Artemis. It's just a picture." My throat felt like it was closing as tears threatened once more. Biting my lip, I pulled myself together, steadied myself for what I had to do.

"So, what do you need to talk about?" His voice was calm, but I could see worry clear on his face.

"I…I didn't tell you the full truth of why Cam joined the Team." Each word was torn from my lips. God, this wasn't even the hard part yet.

He sighed in relief. "That's it? Artemis, the way you made it sound on the phone…" And then he realized that I wasn't calming down, wasn't laughing, wasn't any different from when I walked in. "Why did he join? What happened?"

"He…he walked in…he walked in… Terror was his partner and he fell behind so Terror was there first and he fought and…and…"

The truth was there, somewhere, fighting to get out, but I was mangling it, ripping it apart and rearranging the words because I couldn't do this.

"Artemis? Artemis, please, what happened?"

"Tommy Terror raped me."

The only sound was the _tick-tick-tick_ of the clock. It seemed mournful.

Ollie just stared at me, shocked and disbelieving, waiting for me to smile and shout, "You've been Punk'd!" But I didn't, and after a while, that sunk in.

"What…what happened?"

I related the events, coherently this time, talking to the pictures, the walls, the clock, anything but Ollie. Once through with everything, I focused on the hands trembling in my lap because I couldn't bear to look at my mentor.

Suddenly, his arms were around me, pulling me close. His whole body was shaking, racked with sobs, and he kept whispering, "I'm so sorry."

I accepted the embrace, the security. I wanted to tell him that I was okay, but I knew that if I spoke, I would cry, and I was sick and tired of crying.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked. "I mean, as okay as you can be?"

"I'm doing alright."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

I flinched at the pain in his voice. "I didn't tell anyone. I probably would have taken this to the grave if Dinah hadn't gotten that video. I just didn't want anyone worrying over this and I didn't want you to think I couldn't handle myself because I can and I don't want to stop being a hero and—"

"You were worried that I wouldn't let you be my partner anymore?"

"Yeah, I, I guess. I figured if you knew this happened, you'd be too afraid to let me patrol anymore."

"Artemis, I'm always afraid to let you patrol." His hands were on my shoulder, and I couldn't avoid eye contact anymore. "Hell, we all are. You're kids. And we know you can handle yourselves because you've been trained so well and you know what you're doing, but it's still as scary as anything. And I would never force you to stop being a hero, not if that's what you wanted to do. But I do want to know when you've been hurt because you're like a daughter to me and I can't…I can't imagine losing you."

So much for no more crying.

"You mean that?" I chocked, hastily wiping my eyes.

"Of course I mean that." He hugged me again, and I let myself break, the tears streaming down my face. We sat there, shrouded in silence expect for my sniffling and the _tick-tick-tick_.

"Do you want to press charges?" he inquired once the tears had ceased.

I shook my head. "It's not worth it—he'll be going back to Belle Reve anyway."

"It's not just about that—it's about justice."

He was making sense, but I wouldn't budge. There was no way I could go to court and tell a whole bunch of strangers that I'd been raped. Besides, Terror was in some hospital somewhere with brain damage. That was enough justice for me, even though it killed me a bit knowing how it came about.

"How are you doing? For real, I mean. Can you focus in school? Do you eat right? Are you sleeping?"

"I'm really doing okay, Ollie. My grades dipped a little but not much; my appetite hasn't changed; and I get enough sleep."

He ran his fingers through his hair. "I…I really wish I knew what to say. That I could honestly tell you that everything was going to work out and be perfect and go back to normal. But I can't. What I can tell you, though, is that I care about you, your family cares about you, the League cares about you, and the Team cares about you. You have so many people supporting you, Artemis. You don't have to go through this alone. You _never_ have to carry the weight of the world by yourself. You have us for a reason. So if you ever need anything, ever, just call me. I will always, always be here for you, okay?"

I nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Ollie."

"You're welcome, kiddo." He stood. "I can make breakfast, if you want. I make mean pancakes."

Offering a small smile, I said, "I really appreciate it, but I need to get home. I have to talk to Mom. Just…can you call Roy and tell him to go to the Cave? I want…I want him to hear this, too, when I tell the Team."

"Alright." Helping me to my feet, he gave me one last hug. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay."

As I headed home, breathing a little easier, I checked my phone. Mom had called me five times, probably wondering where I was—I'd forgotten to tell her I'd be spending the night at the Cave. Instead of returning the calls, I quickened my pace. I had to talk to her in person, but if I called, I might spit out the truth then and there.

"You can do this," I whispered as I stepped into the zeta-tube. "You can do this."

I kept this up until I was at the apartment. Steeling my nerves, I opened the door. "Mom?"

"Living room."

"Mom, I really did to talk to—"

I stopped dead, my heart pounding insanely in my chest. My mother was sitting in the middle of the room, glassy-eyed, wringing her hands.

And on either side of her were Jade and my father.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Own this show, I do not.

Chapter 19

"Artemis." Mom's voice sounded hollow, strangled. "What is this about you being raped?"

I should have been more diplomatic, more sensitive, but I was so floored that I blurted out, "How did you guys hear about that?"

As Mom brought her hand to her mouth and Dad grumbled, "I told you I wasn't lying," Jade ran to me and pulled me into a hug, squeezing me against her.

"You're okay." It was a question and a statement all in one.

"I'm doing okay."

"For real?" She titled my chin toward her and scrutinized me.

"Why didn't you tell _me_?" Mom gasped, struggling to keep herself from bawling.

"I didn't want anyone to know." I focused again on my sister. "How'd you figure it out?"

Nodding in the direction of my father, she explained, "From him. Apparently, Tommy Terror has a big mouth. Couldn't keep it to himself what he'd done. It went through the villain grapevine. I've been out of the country for business; as soon as I came back, Dad tracked me down."

"How could you let this happen?"

Jade's grip tightened even more. "Shut the Hell up," she hissed at Dad. "You've known for weeks now but you were too afraid to talk to her without me!"

"I've trained you to defend yourself," he continued, taking a step closer.

Mom rolled in front of him, shrieking, "Don't you dare blame my daughter for this!"

"_Our _daughter," he corrected, maneuvering around her. "And she knows how to protect herself!"

"He knocked me out and bound me!" I shouted. "What could I have done?"

"You shouldn't have let that happen!"

"I was coming back from Star City after patrol. I wasn't on my guard."

"This is Gotham—you always need to be on your guard."

"Stop blaming her!" my mother seethed, fingers growing white from grasping her wheelchair so tightly. "She's the victim!"

"I taught her not to be a victim, didn't I? All those years of telling you to always watch your back, always know your surroundings, and this happened? Artemis, you know better!"

Mom, infuriated, slipped into her native tongue. I was rusty with my Vietnamese, but I could pick out some of the words. They were the ones me and Jade had to Google translate because Mom wouldn't tell us what they meant.

"Back off, Dad," Jade snarled.

"She's my daughter."

"Your daughter?" I squirmed from Jade's hold and stood to face him. "You don't care about me! I don't mean _anything _to you! You want my friends dead; Hell, you probably want me dead! So just leave, okay? I'm so sorry I ruined your pristine reputation by not being able to prevent myself from getting raped. I get it."

"You don't get a damn thing." He gripped my shoulders, firmly but not enough to actually hurt me. I stared at the floor. "You think I'm here because of my reputation?"

"Well it sure isn't to see if I'm okay!"

"These past weeks all I cared about was knowing you were okay! You know how I found out? Klarion. The little punk came up to me and asked how you were doing. When I asked him what he meant, he laughed and said, 'Your little archer was raped by Tommy Terror.' Broke the bastard's jaw for that; probably would've killed him, but he did his voodoo crap and disappeared. I spent the rest of the damn night walking around in a daze, trying to think of anything but my baby girl getting hurt. But I couldn't because that damn image was burned in my mind and it killed me because I pulled you into this Hell of a life and I thought I could keep you safe and I _couldn't_. I'm not a good dad, Artemis—I won't even try to pretend that I am. But you're still my daughter and I would die for you if I had to."

I was gnashing my lip, reducing it to tattered skin and blood because I couldn't cry, not again, not in front of him.

"Damn it, Artemis, look at me!"

With a defiant snap of my head, I did so, only to see tears pooling in his eyes and spilling onto his face. "You gotta know I mean what I'm saying, Baby Girl. God, please, you gotta know—"

All my resolve crumbled. Because my father, Sportsmaster, criminal, murderer, villain, was _crying_.

I wrapped my arms around him, buried my head into his chest. There was a brief moment of discomfort, both of us unaccustomed to this, but it settled soon enough. I vaguely wondered why this seemed familiar, and then it came to me, a moment in time long since forgotten. I was young, too young for fieldwork, too young for anything, but he'd insisted that I come along anyway, just to watch. But they found my hiding place, his associates, his supposed friends, and started to beat me. He stopped them, screaming bloody murder. He'd hugged me tight and carried me home, promising to protect me.

_"Maybe if we remember the good stuff really well, the bad stuff won't hurt so much."_

Cam had said that years ago, during one of the nights when there was all bad, no good. I'd forgotten that in my transition from villain to hero. I forced away the good memories because I needed the bad, needed a reason to trade sides. But now, now I was a full-fledged hero. Maybe I could remember the good memories, too.

Soon, Jade's arms were around me, and Mom worked her way in, and it was so _bizarre_, my family having a Kodak moment, when no one was trying to kill each other. It was nice, though, one of the memories I'd have to remember really well.

"So, where is this bastard?" Dad finally asked, breaking away.

"Dad, you can't kill him."

"Oh, I'm not going to kill him. I'm just going to make him wish he were dead."

"You can have your turn when I'm done with him," Jade objected, crossing her arms over her chest. "With my connections, I'll find him first anyway."

Dad rolled his eyes. "Don't pull that card on me. You only have this job because of me."

"First off, stop talking about your criminal dealings in front of me! Conflict of interests, anyone? And second, Terror has already been punished."

"Sis, prison isn't enough punish for that—"

"He's in some hospital with brain damage."

Dad raised his eyes and nodded his head approvingly. "Your Junior Justice League pulled that off?"

"No. I mean, kind of. Cam did."

"Cam? Like Cameron Mahkent? Joar's kid?"

"He was Terror's partner for the Belle Reve breakout. He stopped Terror and joined the Team. Last night, we faced Terror again. He tried to…you know, and Cam freaked."

"We're talking about the same person, right? That scrawny little Ice Pop who hated fighting?"

"Yes, him, Dad."

"Kid grew up," he murmured. Thinking it over for a second, he said, "You're the reason he changed sides."

"Villain grapevine?"

"Icicle's pretty notorious. Word got around real quick that his son decided to play hero." Glancing down at me, he muttered, mostly to himself, "Guess I will be paying for the wedding."

Before I had a chance to question that, Jade interjected, "Don't expect me to be content with a little brain damage, Artemis. I have my own brand of justice. And if and when I run into that pathetic little bastard, he'll regret ever looking at you."

"I thought it was every girl for herself," I insisted innocently.

Pushing me playfully, she countered, "Exceptions to every rule. We're still family, after all."

"Never forget that," Dad instructed. "Blood transcends everything else."

I nodded. "Okay, Dad."

"We better be off—can't be good for a _hero's _reputation, hanging out with villains." He hugged me quickly, mumbling something into my hair. I'd like to think it was _I love you_.

"Take care of yourself, Little Sister," Jade instructed, offering one last embrace. "I'll always be around, when you need me."

With that, they were gone, leaving me with Mom.

"How could you not tell me?" She seemed betrayed.

"Mom—"

"I have to learn from your father and sister that you'd been _raped _over a month ago."

"Mom—"

"I fear day in and day out that someone will harm you, that one of our enemies will go after you to get back at us, and you don't even _tell me _when someone has hurt you like this?"

"Mom!" I knelt before her and placed my hands on hers. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I really, really am. I just didn't want you panicking."

"You'd been _raped_. The right reaction was panicking!"

"I know, Mom. I know. But I thought I could handle this on my own. I thought I needed to handle this own my own. Now I'm realizing that I don't have to."

She took a shaky breath. "What happened that night?"

I retold my story. It was so much harder talking to her than it had been with Ollie.

"Oh, Artemis." She held me close. "My baby."

"I'm okay, Mom. I mean, I'm doing okay."

"Did you…did you go to the doctor?"

"I didn't need to. I'm really alright."

"No one else knows?"

"Ollie does, now. But I still have to tell the Team."

We were both quiet for a moment.

"Artemis, you are a strong girl. You are a brave girl. Never, ever forget that. You come from a long line of fighters, of warriors. Do not think, for one second, you are weak. You are my daughter, and my daughters are not weak."

"Thanks, Mom."

She gently rubbed my back, quietly singing a lullaby in Vietnamese. Something about flowers, and sunshine, and hope. She would always sing to me, to us, every night, before she went to prison. It was a nice song. I needed to remember what it said.

"I have to go," I finally whispered. "The Team has to know."

"Come right back? Please?"

"Okay, Mom." I kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

I stood and left, making my way to the zeta-beam transporter, wrapping myself in a cocoon of good memories that I'd buried away.


	20. Chapter 20

READ PLEASE! Okay, so Roy isn't a clone in this unless you really want him to be. So just let me know.

Disclaimer: You know what I own? An SAT prep book. You know why I own that? Because I had take the SATs. And you know why I had to do that? Because I don't own this show.

Chapter 20

Cam was waiting for me as soon as I got into the Cave. "How'd it go?"

"Okay. It wasn't easy or anything, but it's over, at least."

"Do you feel better? I mean, like, kinda?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I do."

"Are you up for talking to the Team? Dinah got them together—they're all waiting in the living room. And Speedy, uh, Red Arrow, got here a few minutes ago."

"I can do it. It can't be any harder than telling my family."

"You mean your mom."

"No, my family. Terror had a big mouth, news got to Dad and Jade."

"How'd _that _go?"

"Well, Dad was being Dad, and Jade was yelling at Dad for being Dad, and Mom was screaming in Vietnamese, and I starting fighting with Dad, and then he did a one-eighty and started crying, so I started crying, and then we were all hugging, and then Dad and Jade offered to kill Terror, and then me and Mom had a nice little moment. You know, usual crazy criminal family get-together." I licked my lips nervously. "Did Dinah say anything to them?"

"Just that you needed to tell them something."

"Okay. Okay. Okay."

"You've said that already," he murmured, smiling.

I elbowed him in the arm. "Thanks, Captain Obvious."

"No problem, Rapunzel." He lowered his voice as his smile wavered. "You're sure about this?"

"Yeah. Of course. I'm going to be fine."

I walked to the room, flanked closely by Cam. Megan and Connor were on the one couch, Kaldur and Raquel on the other. Robin and Zatanna were on the floor, leaning against table, which Wally was lying on. Roy stood awkwardly to the side, clearly wondering why he was here.

"Hey, babe," Wally greeted, absentmindedly flicking the side of Robin's head. "What big news do you have to tell us?"

"Maybe she's running off with Cameron and getting married," Robin grumbled, attempting to bite Wally as he moved to flick him again.

"Maid of honor!" Zatanna dipped.

Connor blinked in confusion. "Wait, they're not really—"

"No, they are not," Kaldur assured him.

"So what is going on?" Roy asked, always straight-forward, always serious.

I opened my mouth, but the words didn't come. Breathing suddenly became really difficult. Megan shifted a bit in her seat, sensing my anxiety. "Artemis? Artemis, what's wrong?"

"I…I…I was…"

"Was what?" Raquel prompted gently, sitting forward. "It's okay, girl. Just tell us what's going on."

"I was raped."

It was whispered, too delicate, too fragile to be spoken any louder.

Wally sat straight-up, face ashen, disbelieving. The others stirred, unsure if they heard right.

"What?" Zatanna breathed.

"I was raped," I repeated, louder this time.

In an instant, she and Raquel were at my side, holding me. After a moment, Megan followed suit, confusion on her face because of course she wouldn't know what rape was, not when her main source of earthly knowledge was _Hello, Megan!_ That didn't matter, though, not then, because she knew that whatever it was, it was bad.

Roy and Connor had the same facial expression, feral almost, a mix of rage and hatred. Kaldur seemed shocked, eyes wide, trying to process the information. Robin just stared at me, mouth slightly open, head cocked to the side. Wally had his knees to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around them, and he was shaking so badly he was practically vibrating.

"Who?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Tommy Terror."

"Last night?" Megan gasped.

"No. No. The night of the Belle Reve breakout."

"That was over a month ago," Roy said softly.

Nodding, I explained, "I was coming back to Gotham after patrol. Terror knocked me unconscious, bound my arms and legs. When I woke up…" My voice cracked, and Zatanna's grip tightened, "He said he was going to… And I fought him, I did, but I couldn't…"

"It's okay," Raquel murmured. "Just keep going. We're listening. It's okay. We know."

"He was…he was raping me when Cam showed up—they were partners for the breakout, and this was their rendezvous site—and Cam stopped him. He found out it was me, and I got him to join the Team. Last night, when we faced Terror, he tried to rape me again. That's why Cam reacted the way he did."

"I'm so sorry, Artemis," Raquel whispered. "Oh, God, girl, I'm so sorry."

"Are you alright?" Megan asked, and I could feel her tears on my neck.

"I'm doing okay."

"Why…why did you not tell us as soon as it happened?" Kaldur inquired gently.

"I didn't tell anyone. I didn't want you guys to know. I figured I could handle this on my own."

"Cam knew," Wally stated pointedly. "He knew this whole fricking time."

"Wally, don't," Roy warned. "He's not the one you're mad at."

"He _knew _that my girlfriend had been raped, that our teammate had been raped, and he didn't say a damn thing!"

"You must calm down," Kaldur instructed. "I understand—"

"You don't fricking understand!" he shouted. "You know when you'll understand? When the girl you love gets hurt like this and you weren't the one protecting her, weren't the one by her side through everything! When you're clueless and worrying about stupid little fights instead of how she's really doing! When you learn that someone knew the whole damn time and didn't think you had a right to know even though you would give the _world _for this girl! That's when you'll understand!"

"Wally, please," I pleaded, chocking on a sob.

He wasn't paying attention to me. "You knew!" he shrieked at Cam. "And you didn't think you had to tell anyone?"

"It wasn't my place," Cam said evenly. "She said that she didn't want anyone to know, so I respected that."

"She'd been _raped_!" Wally snarled, getting in his face. "What the Hell did you think she was going to say? God, you had to be the levelheaded one and you weren't! You're not much of a friend, you know that?"

"Wally, you're talking like an idiot," Robin told him. "Put your stupid pride aside and focus on the real problem."

Wally wasn't done, though. "What, were you enjoying the show when you realized the girl was Artemis? Figured you owed it to her or something?"

"It wasn't like that!" Cam looked like he'd been slapped. "As soon as I showed up, I stopped him."

None of us saw the punch to the face, only the blood dribbling from Cam's nose. Roy hurried over to Wally and pinned his arms behind his back as the younger red-head barked, "If you'd been there sooner, this never would have happened!"

Cam just cleaned the blood off his face and met Wally's glare. Sadly, he responded, "Don't you think I know that?"

That simple statement seemed to obliterate all the anger Wally had. With a whimper, he collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down his face. Getting away from the girls, I ran over to him and pulled him close.

"I'm sorry, Artemis." He was clinging to me desperately. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Wally. I'm okay."

"I should have known," he insisted. "I should have known and I should have done something and I'm so so so sorry, Artemis, please, I'm sorry." With trembling hands, he wiped the tears from my face. "I'll never let you get hurt again. I promise."

Part of me wanted to roll my eyes and jokingly say, "Don't make a promise you can't keep." Because we were heroes and heroes got hurt. But I couldn't because Wally was breaking down right in front of me and he needed to believe that he could defend me against everything. Because we were human and we liked to think that we had some control over the chaos that is life.

"I know you will," I whispered, burying my head into his neck, feeling his pulse buzz frantically. "I know you will."

I felt hands wrapping around my waist from behind, and I glanced to see Robin hugging me, too. Robin, for the record, is not a hugger. He's a physical kid, sure—high-fives, fist-pumps, tackling, tripping, nudging, bumping, climbing. Hell, he'll even use us as his personal springboard when he's bored. But he'd never, ever hugged anyone but Zatanna before.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled into my back.

Soon, the girls were in the group, too, and Kaldur somehow found a place, kneeling beside me, and Connor and Roy, who were not touchy-feely in the least, were right there with us. And it was almost comical, what this scene must have looked like, but I couldn't seem to laugh because I needed this so badly, this sanctuary, this knowledge that they would all be there for me, always.

I'll never know how long we sat there, but by the time we separated, my legs had fallen asleep. As we stood, Wally looked over my head to Cam, patiently and respectfully waiting. "Look, I'm sorry for acting like a total ass."

"Don't worry about it," Cam objected. "Water under the bridge and all that. We're cool, dude."

Wally nodded slowly, gratefully, then turned to me. "What do you want to do now?"

I knew I had to get home and I knew that Mom was probably counting every second that passed, but I didn't want to leave, not just yet.

Cam smiled. "I think I know."

Grabbing the remote, he turned on the television and scrolled to the movie section, then Disney classics. And right there, the very first option, was _Alice in Wonderland_.

My smile matched his. "Yeah. That'll work."

Wally and I sat down at the couch, me cuddling against him. Megan sat next to me, Zatanna and Raquel right beside her. Robin, being Robin, managed to worm his way between me and the back of the couch, resting his chin on my shoulder. Kaldur sat next to Raquel, and Connor awkwardly sat on the armrest. Roy, realizing there was no way he could get out of this, somehow ended up on the back of the couch in an almost cat-like way. Cam, clicking play, squeezed between Kaldur and the armrest. And it was cramped and packed and _perfect_, all of us, together, just like that.


	21. Chapter 21

AN: I can't even describe my reaction to _The Dark Knight Rises_. There are no words.

Disclaimer: Famous things make people famous. I am not famous. Therefore, I do not own famous things.

Chapter 21

I sat at my desk, waiting for the first bell to ring. Mom had told me that I could skip school, considering all that had happened yesterday, but I'd declined the offer. Since Euro was a three marking period course, our final was on Friday, and I needed to be there for the review days. Besides, I didn't really know what good staying home would do—everything I needed to (_ready to, Artemis, let's be honest here_) say had already been said the night before. After the movie, I went home to find Mom making my favorite dinner, anxious to talk. And we did. It was hard, speaking about my feelings, what had happened, because my family was not exactly the "share your emotions" kind, but I felt good afterwards. Lighter. Freer.

_Let's not get carried away, Artemis. Your shackles are loosened, not broken._

Still, it wasn't like everything had simply become lollipops and sunshine. I'd curled up in bed, more than ready to sleep, when an image of Terror flashed in my mind. Each attempt at blissful unconscious was interrupted in the same manner but with a different picture: him straddling me; him hitting me; him frozen to a wall, blood dripping from his skull. I called it quits after a while and radioed Cam, guilty because it was late and I'd obviously wakened him. He insisted that it was okay, but it wasn't, not really. I should have been able to sleep on my own, and he should have been able to do the same.

_Don't worry about it. He's willing to do _anything _for you. We know that perfectly well. The question is, would you reciprocate? _

And, of course, there was still that voice, just as annoying and bitter as before.

The start of the school day jolted me into focus. Taking out a blank sheet of paper, I turned my attention to the PowerPoint on the screen, writing down everything I saw, plus whatever Ms. Lydon was saying. Once class was over, I made sure I kept my notes out so I could skim them on the way to gym. Everything was understandable, completely and totally related to European history. I mentally chalked that up as a victory.

In the locker room, I glanced between my locker and the bathroom. Gathering my courage, I changed right where I was, just like all the other girls. Another victory.

"What's going on, Arty?" Max swaggered over to me as soon as I stepped through the gym doors, his goons close behind.

"Leave me alone," I told him, rolling my eyes. "You're so annoying."

"Annoying?" He placed his hand over his heart in mock hurt. "You insult me. I simply ask a question and you attack me in such a manner? Tsk, tsk."

"Just back off, alright?"

"I'm not hearing the magic word, am I?"

"Now?"

Another step closer, clear invasion of my personal bubble. "C'mon, you're not stupid. You know what it is."

"Please," I growled.

"Alright, alright. I can see when I'm not wanted. I'll see you around, when you're in a better mood, Arty."

He and his group walked to the other side of the gym, laughing like morons.

"Don't worry about them."

Dick Grayson was at my elbow, contemptuously watching the boys. "They're just stupid guys acting like they're cool when they're not."

"They just really get under my skin, though, you know?" I had no idea why that thought popped out of my mouth—it's not like I was really friends with this kid or anything.

The statement didn't seem to faze him. "Yeah, I get it. It's like they know all the right buttons to push."

"Exactly. How'd you know?"

"These guys, they have a pattern. Because they're built like jocks, they think they own gym class. The flirt with the girls, rag on the guys. They just cycle through everyone, then repeat."

My blank stare prompted an explanation: "I notice lots of things, stuff no one else really thinks about."

"So you're a people watcher?"

He grinned up at me. "Yeah, I guess you can call it that."

Ms. Enderson's shrill whistle cut off any more conversation. "Alright class, get into a circle for warm-ups. Kyle, Jenna, you're captains for today. Think over who you want on your dodge ball team."

Groans and applause greeted that announcement, the class being evenly split between those who saw dodge ball as a sport and those who realized it was a warped continuation of gladiator battles. We all, however, agreed to hate warm-ups, which is why every single one of us half-assed the stretches and dynamic movements. The second the last requirement was fulfilled, Kyle shouted, "Max, you with me!"

With an arrogant smile, the meat-head joined his lackey and exchanged a fist-pump. Looking my way, he gave a quick wink. I grimaced in response.

Once teams were squared away, Ms. Enderson lined the seven hard rubber balls on the mid-court line. "The rules are easy: if you catch the ball, the thrower is out. If you are hit with the ball, you are out. Head-shots are off-limits. Excessive force or unnecessary violence warrants a detention."

Stepping to the sidelines, she whistled for us to start. Kyle's team immediately got an advantage over ours, somehow snagging five of the balls. Right off the back and my team was down four players.

Grabbing one of the balls, I nailed an opponent in the leg. As he fell, I turned my attention to his friend, who was aiming for me. With ease, I caught it and returned it to their side, taking out Kyle.

"Ooooooh, Arty the Amazon," Max sneered. "Don't you think you ought to be tamed?"

Narrowing my eyes, I found another weapon and launched it at him. His gasped as the ball found his stomach.

"Very nice," Dick applauded, taking down his own man.

"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself."

The class only went uphill from there. Dick and I were basically the team, knocking down the others like flies. In the last game, the last man standing was Max. I took great pleasure in bringing him to the floor.

Red-faced, he hissed, loud enough so only us kids could hear, "Stupid bitch," and turned around, walking to his friends sitting against the wall.

Unexpectedly, one last dodge ball flew, hitting him right on the butt. He yelped as the rest of us cracked up.

"Circus freak," he spat, glaring at Dick, who just shrugged innocently. Ms. Enderson, so consumed with picking a good song on the radio, missed the whole thing and just dismissed us to get changed and then head to lunch. That was an order we all gratefully obeyed.

"Someone's in a good mood," Bette said. "What made you so happy, Artemis?"

I related my gym story to her and the rest of my table. Some of the girls were slightly amused, but Bette only shook her head. "You shouldn't encourage him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he's thirteen, first of all. He shouldn't even be in high school. And second, he's weird. I mean, just look at him." She gestured to the back of the cafeteria, where Dick was sitting with the other mathletes, crazily punching stuff onto his calculator and showing it off. "You really should just, you know, avoid him."

"Because he's a little young and eccentric?"

Tiffany snorted. "That's putting it nicely."

"Besides, he is _such _a nerd," Amber added.

"Because he's smart?"

"He's not normal smart," Bette objected. "He's skipped-two-grades, does-math-for-fun smart."

"My boyfriend is in the Science Olympiad for his school," I retorted hotly. "You're saying I shouldn't date him?"

"That's so different," Kendra assured me. "I mean, from the pictures you showed us, Wally's really cute."

"Right, I forgot, Dick Grayson is the hunchback of Notre Dame."

"Why are you getting so defensive, Artemis?" Bette asked. "You barely even know him."

"Maybe it's because I know what it's like to be judged before people get to even know you. Scholarship girl, remember? Half of these kids think I'm trash because of where I live."

There was a collective "Oh," and the conversation drifted to safer topics, like shopping and afterschool sports. I remained quiet for the rest of lunch, wondering the real reason I got so angry over how they talked about Dick. There was just something about him, something I couldn't place.

When lunch was over, I stood and distanced myself from the others, not wanting to have to fake a conversation on the way to class. Suddenly, I felt someone behind me, hands on my inner things.

"Surprise!"

I chocked on air and spun around. Max laughed hysterically, his buddies following suite. Others who had witnessed this shook their heads or rolled their eyes, completely unconcerned. Until I started panicking.

I sank to the floor, trying to breathe and failing, digging my nails into my legs, shaking uncontrollably. I knew I wasn't getting raped again; Terror and Max were not the same person, weren't even close, and Max wasn't that much of a monster, but it didn't matter because it felt all the same to my body.

"Arty?" He wasn't laughing anymore. "Artemis? Oh, Christ. Oh, Christ, I didn't mean to scare you this bad. I'm sorry. Artemis?"

"What did you do to her?" Bette's voice, angry and protective.

"He grabbed her legs!" some girl said.

"You bastard!"

"He didn't mean to do this to her!" his friend insisted.

"He shouldn't have touched her!" Amber shouted.

By now, traffic had almost come to a stand-still, all the kids wanting to know what the Hell was happening, and I couldn't blame them—a group of girls screaming at a group of guys while one girl was having a panic attack was something you didn't see every day.

"It's okay, Artemis." Dick was in front of me—God, he just comes out of _nowhere_—hands on my shoulders. "It's okay. You're okay. No one's going to hurt you. It's all okay. Just take a deep breath. You're going to be fine, alright? Deep breaths."

My brain regaining control over my body, I did as he told, managing to look a little less crazy when a cafeteria helped finally noticed what was going on. With a threat of detention to send the others scattering, she gently pulled me to my feet and gave me a pass to the guidance counselor. After a moment, she handed one to Dick, saying, "In case you need your friend with you."

The only sound on the way to the office was the pounding of our feet. We took a seat outside the door, listening to hysterical sobbing from the other side. It was going to be a long wait.

I stared straight ahead, trying not to gag at all the motivation posters splattered across the room. Dick kicked his legs like a little kid before glancing at me. "Pretty whelming day, huh?"

"You don't even know the half—" I stopped dead. _Whelming _wasn't a word, not a real one, anyway. And there was only one person I knew who would use it.

I turned to the freshman, mouth agape, and he just _smirked_. Before he could say or do anything else, I threw my arms around him, practically squishing him. "You little brat! I can't believe…this whole time…"

"Told you we'd laugh about this someday," he mumbled. "Now can you loosen your grip so I don't die?"

I did so, but just barely. "You are such a troll, you know that?"

"What can I say? It's one of my many, many talents."

"My God. You're…_you_."

"Very descriptive."

"You know what I mean." I gave him the once-over and frowned a little. "You look better this way." I ran my fingers through his hair, messing it up.

"Hey," he whined, trying to fix it, "I gotta wear it nice in school."

I ignored that comment, still so fascinated with this new information. "I can't believe you told me."

"You figured it out."

"After you gave me a dead giveaway."

"I just thought it might be easier if you knew you had someone on your side in school. Someone who has your back."

The lightheartedness had disappeared. "Ro—Dick, what's wrong?"

He kept his eyes on the floor. "I knew something had happened. The way you reacted when Max acted like a pervert—not that he didn't deserve it, but it was still pretty extreme. And Cam just instantly joining the Team didn't seem to fit, not when he'd spent so much time under his dad's control. I mean, he's a good guy, but completely breaking all ties like that isn't easy. And what when down between you and Wally, when, um—"

"He _told _you about that?"

"We're bros! And he was freaking out because he thought he'd done something wrong." His eyes went wide. "You can't tell him that he told me."

"Trust me, I plan on never bringing this up."

"So I knew something must've happened the night of the break, and when both you and Cam cut the link after you faced Terror, I figured he was involved. And I should have talked to you, or something, and I didn't and I'm sorry."

His sapphire eyes—God, he had the prettiest eyes—had a pleading kind of look in them, a look I couldn't bear. I squeezed him again—I never realized how small he really was—whispering, "You didn't know. You had no idea and it's not your responsibility to take care of me."

"Are you gonna be okay?"

The earnestness, the childishness, struck me.

"I'm gonna be just fine."


	22. Chapter 22

AN: I dedicate this to all those hurt in Aurora—those who died, those who were injured, and those who grieve.

Disclaimer: You know I don't own this, don't you?

Chapter 22

Shifting awkwardly in my seat, I kept my eyes concentrated on the floor. The last time I'd been in this room was seared into my memory, and I was less than enthusiastic.

Apparently, when Dinah had told me I could always talk to her, that had been a declaration, not a suggestion. I was officially in therapy two days a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. I should have known this would happen, but I was still caught off guard.

"You can tell me whatever you want," Dinah prompted softly. "Anything you want."

"I know. I just don't know how to start."

_Why not tell her about me? Therapists deal with crazy people, and hearing a voice definitely makes you crazy._

I ignored that suggestion—there was no way I could tell her that—and struggled to think of something to say.

"It hurt." The words fell like rocks from my lips. "Physically. I didn't think it could ever _hurt_, you know? Because…because it was still sex, and sex is supposed to be a good thing, even when…even when it's not. But it felt like…like I was…tearing. Getting ripped open. And I was bleeding and that, that scared me."

"Artemis, it's normal that there's blood the first time a girl has sex."

"I know. I mean, I've heard that before. But…" I licked my lips, struggling to say what was on my mind. "But if Terror…if Terror hadn't…then the first boy I would have been with…would have been Wally." Face burning, I continued, "I mean, I would have wanted it to be him. And it scares me because I know he would never intentionally hurt, but he still…he still would have. Just because that's how it is. And I'm scared because I don't think I can ever do it again, even if it is with him, or any guy who loves me. Because…because sex isn't a good thing."

Dinah leaned forward. "What happened between you and Terror wasn't really sex, Artemis. It was rape. It was forced. Sex, in its purest form, is two people showing how much they care about one another. It's the act of becoming one person. When you have sex for the first time—your _real _first time—it won't be like what happened. You will want it to happen. It will be consensual, and it will be with someone you love."

"It won't matter. It'll still feel the same, physically anyway. And I don't want to go through that again."

"You just need time. Right now, you can't distinguish between sex and rape—it's the same action, but the reasoning behind them is completely different. After a while, you'll see that the two are not one and the same, and you'll look forward to it."

"I won't. God, I couldn't even get to second without—" The words froze on my tongue as I realized what I'd said.

If Dinah was fazed, she didn't show it. "You and Wally tried to take your relationship further?"

"It was my idea. I thought that if we...got more serious, I would feel, I don't know, better. Like it would suddenly make everything Terror did to me go away. But he barely got the bra unhooked and I couldn't do it. And it was so stupid because Wally isn't a thing like Terror but…but what he would do would be the same. And I know he wouldn't objectify me because he sees me as _me_ and not just something he can use, but that just doesn't matter because it all feels the same."

"You can't force yourself to do something you're not comfortable with. You've been through a very, very traumatic experience. You've been hurt, and it will take time to heal."

"I've been damaged," I spat.

"You are _not _damaged," she insisted firmly. "No one sees you as damaged. You are still Artemis, the one we've always known. That hasn't changed at all."

"Wally sees me differently."

"How do you know?"

"He has to. He was my first boyfriend and I was his first girlfriend and we were each other's first real kiss and we were suppose to go through this whole relationship thing together but we _can't_, not now, not when I've gone farther than him, not when I've been with some other guy."

"It's not like you cheated on him. Terror made you do this."

"I know that—I really, really do. But it just sucks because he won't be my first anything else. And I really, really wanted him to be. And I feel so guilty."

"Why?"

"I should have told him, if no one else. He had a right to know."

"Because he's your boyfriend?"

"Yeah. And I know it hurts him that Cam was the one who was by side through this whole thing inside of him." Leaning back, I murmured, "And that's another thing I feel bad about."

"What does that mean?"

I sighed. "It's just…Cam's been great. He's had by back through everything, and he did whatever he could for me. He betrayed his dad for me, turned in an entire prison for me, changed his whole life for me. And I haven't been a good friend, not really."

"From what I've seen, you have been a good friend."

I shook my head, keeping my gaze on my hands, unable to meet her eyes. "I haven't thought about him at all. I've been worrying about myself the whole time."

"That's understandable. After what you've been through, it makes sense that you've been consumed by it. I'm sure he's not mad."

"That's what worries me," I admitted quietly.

Her interest peaked, indicated by the slight straightening of her back. "What does that mean?"

"Cam's…Cam's been used a lot. People take advantage of him—his dad, Connor during the jailbreak, me when I was undercover. He's use to being used, to being treated like he's nothing, like he's expendable. And I'm scared that he doesn't care anymore. That he expects to be used. That it's the only kind of relationship he can have with another person." After a moment, I continued, "When we were kids, screwing up meant punishment. We were scared to death of disobeying, but there were times when we couldn't go through with it. One time, there was this woman we were guarding. She was our dads' hostage, the wife of some guy who was on the wrong end of the Shadows. And they were going to kill her as soon as they got back, but before that, she was telling us about her kids and her life and we knew that we couldn't let her die. So we let her go. But when our dads came back, Cam insisted he did it all by himself, and I didn't object. I watched Cam take a half-hour beating for what we did, and I didn't say a word. It happened five other times, when we did stuff but he alone took the punishment. And there was never a time I did it for him. I never even _thanked _him for it."

"You were a child, and you were scared."

"I'm not a child anymore. I'm old enough to think about people other than myself and I haven't." I bit my lip, unsure if I should keep going because I wasn't just talking about me anymore.

"Nothing leaves this room, Artemis. Remember that."

"I know, but I don't think I should talk about Cam's past."

"You mean his mom?"

"He told you about her?"

"I was still in the arena when he…explained it to the Team. I heard everything. So, what does his mom have to do with this?"

"It's just…I know he's hurt. What his mom did to him really scarred him, making him think he was a monster. And then she just dumped him on his dad and his dad…well, you can guess that his childhood really didn't get much better. He has his own problems to deal with, but I didn't even think about that. I just put all my problems on him, and he dealt with it and took care of me and tried everything he could to make me feel better and I didn't even appreciate it. I took him for granted. And he was _okay _with that. No one should ever be okay with that."

"Have you talked to him about this?"

"I wouldn't know what to say to him. I don't even think he realizes how unfair this is for him. I want to help him like he helped me, but he hates to talk about his past. The only reason he told me was because I'd told him about Mom one time."

"Then don't try to get him to talk about it. Maybe all you need to do is be his friend. Spend time together. Act like normal kids. Show him that you do care about him. And if he ever does open up, just listen."

"Okay." I looked up. "Can we be done for today? Please?"

"We stop whenever you want to. These sessions only last for as long as you say."

"Thanks," I said, standing up. "This…this really helped. Thanks."

"You're welcome, Artemis. If you need to talk to me before Thursday, just get in touch. I'm always willing to listen."

I managed a smile and left, heading towards Cam's room. Knocking on his door, I called, "Cam? Can I come in?"

"Sure."

He was at his desk, an open book in front of him. Wolf was at his side.

"Is Connor mad you stole his pet?" I asked, petting the canine.

"No, we agreed to joint custody. Besides, I'm here more often than he is—he's on the World History Debate Team. That's where he is now."

"The what?"

"Something where him and a bunch of kids talk about historical events and how it can impact the present. He didn't really want to join, but Megan convinced him it was a good idea to get involved with the school."

"She at cheerleading?"

"They have a big competition in a month. Just got the news yesterday, so they have hard-core training every day from now till then." He smirked. "You know, it would be kinda cool to watch. All them girls twirling and spinning like that in those short skirts."

I slapped his arm. "Is that all you think about when it comes to girls?"

"Not the _only _thing. Just the first. I'm a teenage boy, after all."

"So are guys are like this?"

"Did William Jennings Bryan deliver the famous "Cross of Gold" speech in order to dramatize the negative effects the gold standard would have on the farmers of the nation?"

I gave him a blank look. "I'm going to go with yes."

He laughed, but it fell pretty quickly. "How'd the session go?"

"Not bad. It could have been worse."

"Good to know. I talk to her tomorrow."

"You do?"

"The whole Team has to, plus Roy. To make sure we're doing alright."

"Great, this is the second time the Team had to get therapy because of me."

He shot me a look. "What?"

"We had a simulation gone wrong. Long story short, the world was ending, I died, we thought it was real, blah blah blah."

"Wow."

"Yeah. You know, stuff happens when you're a hero." Pausing for a moment, I asked, "You wanna hang out some time? Maybe this Saturday? You know, like old times?"

"Oh, you mean act as distraction for some illegal activity?"

"Okay, not exactly old times, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do." He grinned. "Yeah, I'd like that. But is Wally okay with it?"

I tried to look insulted. "You think I need my boyfriend's permission to hang out with my best friend?"

"Hey, I know you don't. I'm just not sure if he knows."

"He'll be fine with it. And if he's not, I'll just beat some sense into him."

"Sounds good to me. I'll talk to you tonight, alright?"

"Okay." I gave him a quick hug. "Don't study too hard."

"I won't, I won't."

With a roll of my eyes, I headed for home.

_Oh, Artemis, do you really think hanging out with him makes up for all the other times?_

I gritted my teeth in frustration. I really had to do something about that voice.


	23. Chapter 23

AN: Hey everybody. I'll be going on a week-long hiatus from tomorrow to the 31st because I'll be on vacation. I'll try to get a chapter up as soon as I'm home.

Disclaimer: My name is not included among the people who own this show. Trust me, I checked.

Chapter 23

I notched my arrow and waited, keeping an eye on the street below. Green Arrow was by my side, doing the same.

It had been simple patrol so far—an attempted convent-store robbery, a mugging, a drug-deal. All easily stopped with minimal effort. Normally, I would call it a night and head home—it was almost eleven—but not this time. GA had been overly protective, taking down most of the bad guys before I even had an opportunity. He'd even gone so far as to get his own target before turning around to take mine. I felt like a sidekick, not a hero, and that did not sit well with me.

"You know, Artemis, it's getting late. Do you think you should be getting home?"

"I'll go home once I've actually done something tonight."

From the corner of my eye, I saw him focus on me rather than the scene. "What does that mean?"

"You know what it means. I've fired one arrow tonight. What's your count?"

"Does that really matter?"

"Yes, it does. I can hold my own in a fight. I don't need you playing protector."

"I know that."

"Then why have you been doing it? This whole night I've practically been on the sidelines watching you."

"Don't you think you're exaggerating just a little?"

I glared at him. "There were four guys at the robbery. You jumped in front of me and took them all down. I wasn't even allowed near them."

"That just happened."

"No it didn't. You've never shielded me before."

He started inspecting his bow. "Look, I, I just want you to be okay."

"So that means treating me like a little kid? C'mon, GA, I have years of training. You know I can handle myself."

"I don't doubt that, Artemis."

My grip tightened on my weapon. "So what gives?"

"Nothing. I'm not treating you any differently—"

"Stop lying!" I spat, the arrow snapping in half in my hands. "You're treating me differently because you know I was raped. Admit it."

The breeze became a wind, surprisingly strong for March, whistling a mocking tune. It was the only answer I received.

Shaking my head, I growled, "I knew it. I knew I never should have told you."

"Artemis, please—"

"No! I'm not helpless and I'm not weak. I can use a bow and arrow with my eyes closed. I've been on more mission than I can count. I know what I'm doing and I'm completely capable of doing it!"

"I know that," he whispered. "I really do know that. But that doesn't mean I'm not worried."

"You said you were always afraid to let me patrol, but that never stopped you before. Now, I'm practically here for decoration."

"I just don't you getting hurt."

"I'm a hero! We get hurt—that's unavoidable."

"I know, but now…"

"Now what?" My eyes were watering, but I convinced myself it was because of the wind. "Because I was raped I'm not good enough to be a hero? I'm not strong enough?"

"It has nothing to do with that!"

"Then tell me the Hell is going on!"

"I don't want it to happen again!"

I just stared at him. "What?"

"I'm scared that it could happen again," he admitted quietly. "I know…I know that's stupid, but I can't get over that feeling that something will happen. You're completely able to hold your own in a fight—I get that. But we're not talking about bruises or broken bones. We're talking about something a lot worse than that. Something I never thought could happen to someone I care about. And I wasn't prepared for it to happen—it _wasn't _supposed to happen—and now I can't get it off my mind. And I'm sorry, Artemis, I really am, but I just want to make sure you're safe. That's all that matters to me."

I pulled out another arrow and started playing with it, unsure of how to respond.

"Please, Artemis, say something."

"I won't let it happen again, Ollie."

Too late, I realized what I'd said.

"You didn't let it happen the first time."

"It won't happen again," I amended. "I know you're concerned, and that really does mean a lot to me, but I want to still be a hero. And I can't do that if you don't let me." Putting the arrow back, I slung my bow over my shoulder and went over to him. "I'll be alright," I promised, hugging him. "I'll be alright."

"I know you will," he murmured, "but that doesn't mean I'm not going to worry."  
I smiled up at him. "I wouldn't expect it any other way."

A blaring alarm suddenly cut through the night. Glancing at me, GA said, "That's the alarm from the bank. Ready to kick butt?"

"More than ready," I insisted, preparing my weapon and sprinting toward the crime.

Seven men were leaving the building, the man in front holding a gun to a hostage's head. She must have been one of the clerks, and she was pleading desperately with her captor. GA kept his bow by his side, an indication he was letting me take the shot. Narrowing my eyes in concentration, I stayed in the shadows and waited for an opportunity to strike. The police were arriving, but there would be nothing for them to do, not in a hostage situation. The robbers ignored their demands to come peacefully, climbing into a dark blue van, making sure the one with the clerk was the last to enter. Perfect.

The arrow struck the target, knocking the gun right out of his hand. The captive fled, and the van sped off, leaving their man on the ground. The police immediately gave chase, and so did I, Green Arrow right behind me. Five of the men—either extremely stupid or utterly terrified of prison—jumped from the moving vehicle. As the police continued after the lone driver, GA and I focused on the escapees. An arrow to the ankle sent one sprawling but alerted the others to our presence. Two came at us, and a look from GA told me I was to go after those running. An endorphin rush kicking in, I did so immediately.

"Damn it!" the one man shouted, eyes almost bugging out of his head when he saw me. He picked up his speed, but he wasn't fast enough to escape the trick arrow the encased him in a net. Spitting curses, he fought the bondage but to no avail. It wasn't a victory, though, not yet. I'd lost sight of the other guy, and I needed to find him.

There was slight movement from behind me, and it was all I needed to whirl around. The last man, a deranged look in his eye, pulled out a blade, but before I had a chance to do anything, another arrow knocked him out cold.

Growling in frustration, I shouted, "Green Arrow, I could have handled—"

And then I realized the person who fired wasn't my mentor.

"Why are _you _here?" I demanded.

Red Arrow raised an eyebrow. "Hello to you, too."

"I thought you worked solo."

"I do."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Last time I checked, this was my city." He scowled. "Though it's getting more crowded with Junior, er, Ice working with Black Canary."  
I straightened my back. "It's my city just as much as it is yours."

"_Your _city is Gotham, if we want to get technical."

"Well, we don't. What we _do _want to do is discuss why you got involved in something that GA and I clearly had under control."

"The creep was sneaking up behind you. I wouldn't say that was under control."

"I knew he was there," I objected, "and I would have had him had someone not jumped the gun and did it first."

"Does it matter who does what as long as it gets done?"

"Who are you and what have you done with the real Red Arrow?"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"I've known you long enough to figure that you don't like people stepping on your toes and that you have enough common sense to not step on anyone else's. We were teammates, remember? I know how you roll."

He shrugged. "Just doing my job."

"Cut the crap."

"Roy." Both of us turned to see Green Arrow, clearly confused. "What are you doing?"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "You're saying you didn't have him play bodyguard for me?"

He raised his hands. "I swear I have no idea what's going on."

"So you came here on your own?" I inquired, peering at the older teen.

"Like I said, I was just doing my job. I've been tracking this guy—" He tapped the man's head with his foot "—for a few weeks now. He's a recent parolee who's been in and out of prison for burglary. Figured it wouldn't be long until he returned to his old ways."

"Really? You spent your time following a low-risk, everyday criminal?"

"People like him escalate to larger crimes."

"What's his name?"

His mouth opened, just a little. After a second, he offered, "Kevin, uh, Lyons."

"So if I look up Kevin Lyons on the criminal database I'll find this guy?"

"Well, he is a criminal."

Reaching for my ear like I was starting the communicator, I said, "Hey, Robin, can you—"

"Okay, fine, I have no idea who this guy is," Roy grumbled.

"So you just followed me for the fun of it?"

"Trust me, there was no fun in watching you two do all the work."

"All the work? You've been stalking us the whole time on patrol?"

"I wouldn't call it stalking," he huffed.

"I would!"

"Roy," GA intervened, "what's going on?"

Looking between me and his former teacher, he mumbled, "I wanted to make sure she was okay."

"What was that?" I asked. There was no way I heard right.

"I wanted to make sure she was okay," he reiterated.

"Not you too! Does no one think I can take care of myself now?"

"I know you can take of yourself," he told me. "But stuff happens, clearly, and I just don't want that stuff happening again."

"So you do care," I cooed jokingly.

"Of course I care," he countered defensively. "My friend had been raped. How could I not care?"

"Friend?" I repeated. "You consider me a friend?"

He sighed and placed a hand over his mask. "God, I should have seen this coming. Yes, I see you as a friend. The annoying, snarky friend who somehow appeared into my life under circumstances I still can't really believe, but still a friend. And it scared the sh—crap out of me that you could be hurt like that and it sure as Hell won't ever happen again, not if I can help it."

"Aw, Roy, you're such a softie." I threw my arms around his stomach.

"Is this really necessary?"

"You did more with my sister," I reminded smugly, quiet enough so GA couldn't hear.

"We never speak of that," he instructed, returning the hug nonetheless.

"Dinah will never believe this," Ollie mused. "Man, I wish I had my camera.

Roy and I responded simultaneously: "No pictures!"


	24. Chapter 24

AN: Well, surprise! Turns out we're leaving later than I thought, which means I had the time to get out one more chapter. Yay! Also, I am contemplating a spin-off/companion/side story to this following Cameron as he adjusts to life on the Team, so just give me a heads-up as to if you think I should go ahead with it or not.

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. I simply borrow them and quietly return them.

Chapter 24

The silence hung heavy in the air, wrapping itself tightly around each person in the room. Any noise would have been a welcomed distraction, but there was none. The four walls seemed so much closer together this time around, even though there was only one more body occupying the space. Dinah didn't appear concerned at all, but, of course, she didn't have much of a reason to be. After all, it was me she dropped this bombshell on. Me and Wally.

My Thursday therapy session was a couple's session. Neither of us had known until we showed up at the Cave within seconds of each other. After explaining why we were there, we both stared each other before grudgingly heading to the room.

We'd been sitting like this for ten minutes.

"You know, you can talk about whatever you want," Dinah urged gently.

Wally, after two more minutes, took the bait. "So how's school?"

"Not bad. I have a Euro final tomorrow, though, so I should probably be studying for that right now."

"European history will never be beneficial to you in the real world. Science, on the other hand, is the single most important field out there."

"Please. Like I really need to know about polyatomic ions and pH levels."

"Uh, duh."

"Utter waste of my time. Who cares how acidic something is? If you know it's acidic, don't go near it."

"If you can't read pH, how do you know it's acidic?"

"Always bring along a person you don't like to try it out. And Euro is so important."

"Oh really? Because I will just _die _if I don't know about Germany's history."

"It wasn't originally called Germany. It was the Holy Roman Empire, even though it was not holy, Roman, nor an empire. It was a loose confederation of Germanic princes who were constantly bullied by powerful neighbors, including France. During the uprising of 1848, it attempted to unify, but it would ultimately take Otto von Bismarck to lead such a process years later."

"Wow." Wally placed his had under his chin in mock interest. "I could have gone my whole life not knowing that, and I would have been fine."

"Science is useless because of magic."

"Magic isn't real!"

"Explain Zatanna!"

"I will…eventually. I'll get to it!"

"I don't think I can ever have sex with you."

He blinked, then scratched his head. "Um, not really sure how we made that jump—"

"I'm sorry, Wally, but I never want to have sex."

"Are you becoming a nun or something?"

"No! It's just…it's just…God, it's stupid."

The lightheartedness vanished. He pulled his chair closer to mine. "Nothing you say is stupid. Tell me what's wrong."

"It hurts."

"What?"

"Sex. It hurts. It hurts and it's awful and I never want to go through with it again."

"Artemis, I would never hurt you," he whispered. "Please, babe, you know I wouldn't do that."

"You wouldn't mean to, but you would."

"Terror raped you; he didn't have sex with you."

"Same thing. Same physical act, anyway. I mean, it's not even fun for the girl, when you think about it. She just lies there while the guy does stuff."

"It doesn't work that way."

"Does too."

"Does not."

"Does too! How would you know? You've never had sex."

"Neither have you." He grabbed my hands, refusing to let go even as I tried to pull from his grasp. "Please, Artemis, what he did to you doesn't count."

"I'm not a virgin," I spat angrily. "It doesn't matter if it was willing or not—that fact doesn't change."

"So you're not technically a virgin; so what? That isn't important to me. _You_ are all that matters to me."

"It was suppose to be special," I mumbled.

"What was?"

"My first time. It was suppose to be with a guy I cared about, with rose petals and music and candles and it _wasn't_. It was in some crappy abandoned warehouse with some sick bastard and it _hurt_ and I never want to do it again."

"Artemis, I'll never do anything you don't want to do. So if you don't want to have sex, we won't. We've only been dating for a few months; it's not like I was going to suggest it any time soon. I mean, if _you'd_ brought it up, I wouldn't have said no." Crimson stained his cheeks when he remembered that Dinah was still there, listening to everything. "Point is, this relationship runs on your terms. Whatever you want to do, we do."

I shook my head, swallowing hard. "I don't want to do anything."

Confusion and fear clouded his face. "What do you mean?"

"I'm scared, okay? I don't want to get serious just to get hurt. I don't want to give myself over to a boy just to get thrown aside."

"I'm not like that," he objected. "You know I'm not like that."

"I know, I know. I do, I swear, I know you're not like Terror and it doesn't make sense and I'm sorry, I don't know how to explain why I feel this way."

"I'm sure you could explain it to Cam," Wally muttered.

"What is that suppose to mean?" I demanded.

Wally scowled and dropped my hands, but he spoke no more.

"Wally, you have to tell her how you feel," Dinah prompted. "You can't leave her guessing. She needs you."

"Clearly, she doesn't. All she needs is her _best friend_."

"You're mad because Cam knew and you didn't," I said. There was no point in phrasing it as a question; the answer was obvious.

"Of course I'm mad! How could you not tell me? You're my _girlfriend_. We're supposed to be in a relationship and you're going behind my back—"

"Don't make it sound like I was cheating on you," I snarled. "All Cam and I did was talk."

"Why couldn't you talk to me? Why couldn't I be the one who took care of you?"

"It's different between me and him!"

"Why?"

"Because we grew up together. We trained together, we survived that life together. We saw each other through the worst times possible. We can tell each other anything. I can be vulnerable with him and it won't matter. But with you? I don't want to be weak. I don't want to see me that way."

"Why not?"

"Because you're my boyfriend and he's not."

"That's not much of an explanation."

"That's just how it is, okay? And I know you can't accept that, and I really do understand, but that's how I feel. I'm sure there's stuff you tell Robin that you don't tell me."

"You can't even compare that. I would never keep something this huge from you."

"I'm sorry, Wally. I really, really am."

"Sorry that you didn't tell me or sorry that you hurt me?"

There was a clear right answer, but it was too much of a lie for me. "That I hurt you."

"So if you had the chance, you wouldn't have changed anything you'd done? You still wouldn't have told me?"Anger flashed in his emerald eyes, but there was sorrow, too, creeping around the edges.

"I wouldn't have told you," I admitted.

"Does this relationship mean _nothing _to you?"

"Wally." Dinah's voice was soft, soothing. "It's understandable to be upset, but—"

"There are no _buts_! Artemis is the most important person in my life and she doesn't even care about me!"

"That's not true!" I was on my feet, trembling with sudden rage. "I care about you so damn much, Wally! I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to see me as damaged. I wanted to be pure for you! I wanted to be _perfect _for you! And you'll never know how much it hurts that Terror was my first instead of you! I couldn't wait for the day when we did more than just kiss but now it scares the Hell out of me because I'm not good enough for it!"

The anger disappeared, replaced with concern. He stood, too, and reclaimed my hands. "You are good enough."

"I'm not," I protested. "And you'll see that. You'll have to see that, if we ever try to do anything. And you won't want me anymore and I'll understand—"

His lips cut me off. I froze, at first, but then I let myself relax and kissed him back. His grip on me was tight but not aggressive, unyielding but not painful. He tasted of cinnamon and chocolate, sweet and tantalizing and wonderful. I melted against him, feeling his heart beat in time with mine.

When we finally broke apart, we were both trying to keep our breathing normal. Offering a small smile, Wally insisted, "I say you're perfect."

"You mean that?"

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with you," he told me. "And I will _never_ throw you away."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Leaning his head on top of mine, he asked Dinah, "Are we good?"

She was trying to remain stoic, but the tiniest twitching of her lips gave her away. "You guys are good."

We left the room, hand in hand. "So, are we up for a date this weekend?" Wally asked. "Maybe this Saturday?"

"It would have to be at night," I said. "Me and Cam are hanging out that day."

"You and Cam? Alone?"

I shot him a look. Sheepishly, he muttered, "And I'm acting like an idiot again."

"Just a little."

"Look, I get that you and Cam are friends, but I still feel a little weird about this whole thing."

"I know you do. And I get it. But there is nothing between Cam and I other than friendship. _You _are my boyfriend."

He pulled me in for another kiss. "And _you_ are my pure, perfect, undamaged girlfriend."


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Someday…someday…

Chapter 25

Cam and I walked down the busy Happy Harbor sidewalk, staying close to avoid being separated by groups of shrieking children or older-than-God power walkers. The sun poked its head from behind a flock of fluffy white clouds, the first indication that spring would actually happen. Flipping my hair, still damp from the shower I took after training, I looked up at Cam. "So what are we doing?"

"We can go to lunch," he offered. "My treat. Dinah's letting me do odd jobs, you know, cleaning and stuff around her place."

"Letting you?"

Shrugging, he explained, "Well, she said she didn't mind giving me money when I needed it, but I don't wanna just take it, you know?"

I couldn't help but smile at that because it was such a Cam thing to say. "I have money, too. You don't have to pay for me."

"I don't mind."

"We're splitting it, fifty-fifty. Deal?"

He heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Okay, okay. Sheesh."

I placed my foot in front of his, enough to slip up his step and cause him to almost fall off the curb. "So where is there a place to eat?"

Rectifying himself, he said, "Megan mentioned this place she and her…squad…I think it's a squad…anyway, they go there after games and competitions. Which I thought was odd, since cheerleaders aren't supposed to eat."

"Cam!"

"What? You were thinking the same thing and you know it. Besides, they're gonna become trophy wives anyway, so they might as well earn it."

"Cam!"

"I'm just kidding," he insisted, raising his hands innocently. "I'm sure they're all A-plus students who spend their time feeding the homeless and rescuing animals from fires."

"Your sincerity is overwhelming."

"Why, thank you."

"So where exactly is this place?"

"Not sure, really. I think I have a general idea."

Turns out that his "general idea" wasn't even remotely close to the restaurant. One hour and three reluctant requests for directions later, we were finally seated and scanning the menu.

"How's school?" Cam asked.

"Not bad. AP Euro final yesterday—ninety-five percent."

He grinned. "Impressive."

"The World War II section was a little sketchy, but I got through it. How are your studies?"

Shrugging, he replied, "Not really sure. I keep reading stuff and testing myself, but I don't know how much I actually retain."

"No one ever retains stuff from school. You learn it for the test, then forget it. You're completely on track."

"Maybe," he murmured, doubt clinging to the word.

"You are doing just fine," I said quietly. "Don't put so much pressure on yourself."

"Yes ma'am," he mocked, jamming the straw on the table to get the wrapper off. He dipped the straw into his water, then let a single drop land on the rumpled paper.

"What are you _doing_?"

"The worm," he stated, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "C'mon, don't tell me you've never done this before."

I watched the wrapper stretch and move from the liquid, remembering Jade and I doing the same thing years before. "Cam, little kids do this. How old are you?"

"Dis many." Holding up four fingers on his left hand, he continued making the paper dance. All I could do was laugh.

"Do it, Artemis."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"_Yes_."

"I'm fifteen."

"So? I'm seventeen. Do I look like I really care?"

After a moment, and against my better judgment, I followed suit. Of course, that was when the waitress, who had to be around Cam's age, came back.

"Do you guys know what you want to order?"

"Cheeseburger, please," Cam offered, handing her the menu and hiding the drenched wrapper all in the same movement.

I just sat there, my straw full of water hanging over the stupid straw covering, completely unsure of what I wanted. The girl stood patiently, as though she was use to people like me, while Cam could barely hide his snickers.

"Egg salad sandwich, please," I finally managed, handing over the menu.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Cam cracked up. Kicking him under the table, I objected, "It's not funny! I looked like a total idiot!"

"Oh, calm yourself, Rapunzel. You're fine."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Frost Bite."

"Seriously, Artemis. You need to smile." Grabbing the lemon off his glass, he shoved it in his mouth, giving him a golden smirk.

"Oh my God, I can't take you anywhere," I said through giggles.

"You know you love me," he insisted, speaking around the lemon. Spitting it into the cup, he leaned back in his seat and asked, "So how's everything?"

"Okay," I replied. "Wally and I had couple's therapy Thursday."

"That's awkward."

"It wasn't."

He raised an eyebrow. "You two having a big heart-to-heart in front of Dinah wasn't awkward?"

"Okay, it was awkward, but we worked through it. How'd your session go?"

"Fine."

"Really, Cam? All I get from you is _fine_?"

"She asked about my mom," he mumbled, eyes suddenly downcast.

I didn't press for details; from his demeanor, I knew that I just didn't want to know.

"Forget about it," I instructed gently. "It's not even worth your time to think about her."

He took that advice to heart and immediately changed the course of conversation: "Our waitress is pretty hot, right?"  
I rolled my eyes. "I'm a girl, Cam."

"And? Girls can comment about other girls. It's guys who can't comment about other guys."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know. Just how it is. So what do you think?"

"She's attractive," I admitted.

"Attractive?" Cam repeated. "That's the best word choice you could come up with?"

"I don't like the word _pretty_," I murmured.

Realization crossed his face. "Right. Sorry."

"Whatever." Waving my hand dismissively, I proceeded, "So what? You want to ask her out?"

"I don't know. I have no cell phone so I can't give her my number; I don't have an e-mail—and even if I did, that's so lame. And my address is basically confidential, so that would go nowhere." He placed his hand under his chin. "Besides, relationships seem like so much…work. I just like appreciating the beauty that surrounds me."

"You are _such _a man."

"My masculinity is quite unmistakable."

"Except that you're a toothpick."

"Am not!"

"Cam, you have virtually no meat on you."

"I have a six-pack!"

"Okay, well, that's great if you went walking around shirtless. Since that's not really an option, girls have a tendency to focus on your biceps, which, no offense, aren't really there."

"Hey!"

"I'm just saying. Better to hear it from me than from someone else."

"So what you're saying is that I need to take my shirt off."

"Okay, there is no way anything along those lines came out of my mouth."

"That's what I heard." Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, he continued, "Dare me?"

"We are in _public_."

"I'm sure that means something to most people, but not to me."

"Alright, fine. Go ahead. Take your shirt off. Hell, why not just do a striptease act?"

The words were already out of my mouth when I realized the waitress was standing there with our order.

"Here you go," she said quickly, placing the food in front of us. "Enjoy."

Covering my face with my hand, I sank in my seat as Cam had another laughing fit at my expense. "Not funny!"

"Hilarious," he insisted after he'd gotten control of himself. "Pure comedic gold."

"I hate you," I muttered, picking up my sandwich and taking an angry bite. Half of the inside squeezed out of the bread and landed on the plate. Without thinking, I picked it up with my hand and shoved it into my mouth.

"Wow. That's attractive."

"Shut up," I grumbled. A piece of egg went sliding down my chin.

"Do you eat like this all the time?" Cam questioned, taking an overly-dainty bite of the burger. "It's not very becoming of a lady."

"I'm going to punch you in the face."

"Why not just kick me again? The bruise isn't big enough yet."

I did as suggested, earning a yip. Satisfied, I continued devouring my lunch.

"You know, I kinda need my legs to _walk_," he complained, leaning down to rub it. "Could you please refrain from abusing me?"

"But then where would the fun be in that?" I asked.

"You know, you have a little something," he told me, gesturing to my face.

I wiped myself quickly. "Got it?"

"No. Your left. Wait, no, my left. No, up a bit. Okay, too much. Wait, why are you going over? I told you it's on your right."

I spent at least another minute frantically trying to find the mess when I slammed my hand on the table. "There's nothing on my face, is there?"

"Nope."

"You're an evil, evil person, you know that?"

"DNA's a powerful thing."

"I'm disowning you as a friend."

"Of course you are."

"Really, I am."

"Cuts me deep. Real deep."

I forced the rest of the sandwich into my mouth, glowering at him. He did the same with his burger, cheeks bulging out like a chipmunk. Covering my mouth with my hands, it took so much effort to keep myself from laughing.

When our waitress came back with the check, she said, "You guys are one of the cutest couples I've ever seen. How long have you been dating?"

"Oh, we're not boyfriend and girlfriend," I explained, taking the last sip of my water.

"Yeah. That's way too serious. We're more like friends with benefits."

The water went flying out of my mouth, splashing all over the table as I started chocking. Cam, unfazed, simply smiled at the waitress, staring at us like she couldn't be sure if this was a joke or not. She gave up deciphering and walked away.

"Cam!" I kicked him again, a lot harder than before. "I can't believe you just said that!"

"Really?" He calmly inspected the check and placed down five-fifty.

Throwing down my money, I ranted, "She must think we're—"

"Sex maniacs?"

"Cam!"

"C'mon, she knew it was a joke," he insisted, but he still left a ten-dollar bill as a tip.

"I am going to _kill _you," I growled once we were outside, far away from anyone who could hear us.

"You'll have to catch me first," he mocked, taking off.

"Really?" I demanded, chasing him. God, I forgot how fast he was.

We made enemies with probably everyone that day, two teenagers playing tag on a crowded sidewalk. Cam didn't seem to mind, though, and his enthusiasm rubbed off on me, enough so that each dirty look or grumble about "Teenagers these days" meant nothing.

At an intersection, Cam stopped dead, causing me to slam into his back. "Look!"

I followed his pointing finger. "Oh, no."

"Oh, _yes_." He resumed his sprint, cutting across the open area.

"We can't!" I protested.

"Can too!"

"Cannot! We're too old!"

"I'm as old as I want to be and I want to be twelve!"

"CAM!"

We were already at the destination, and he'd already belly-flopped onto one of the playground's swings.

"You are unbelievable."

"Thank you." Stopping himself with his hands, he flopped onto the woodchips. "Swings are the best!"

"This playground is for children."

"Hey, I'm young enough for juvie," he reminded me, taking a correct position on the equipment. "So that means I'm young enough for this."

"You're logic confuses me."

"You _know _you want to," he drawled, kicking off the ground.

Glancing to make sure no one was there, I claimed the swing next to him. Soon, we were both swinging through the air, challenging the other to go higher, faster. I felt like a little kid again. And it felt _good_.


	26. Chapter 26

Higher T…High T…something along those lines

Disclaimer: No, I cannot say I own anything.

Chapter 26

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, inspecting myself. My hair was down, free from the confines of the ponytail. The faded blue jeans and the red crop-top hugged my body in all the right places. That wasn't enough for me, though. Taking a deep breath, I looked beyond the exterior. The girl staring back at me, with her bright smile and a confident look in her eyes, was familiar. It was me.

"I knew you'd come back," I murmured, preparing myself for the voice to contradict me. It didn't.

"Hey, Artemis, are you ready?"

"Coming," I called.

Wally was standing by the Cave's entrance, hands shoved into his pockets. When he saw me, he beamed and pulled me into a hug. "Hey, Beautiful."

"Hey yourself," I replied, kissing him on the cheek. "What's up for tonight?"

"The best boyfriend in the world is making dinner," he said.

"You can cook?"

He placed his hand on his chest, insulted. "Can I cook? Please. I am a _speedster_. Food is my thing."

"Sorry, I just thought you were good at eating it," I teased, holding his hand.

Letting that one slide, he set our destination for Central City. As we stepped through the teleporter, he explained, "My parents are away for the night—someone's wedding somewhere, or something. Anyway, we have the place to ourselves."

We walked back to his place, his arms wrapped tightly around me to "keep me warm," even though it wasn't that cold yet. When we got to his house, he opened the door with a flourish and led me to the kitchen. Two candles flickered on the table, which was covered with a nice satin tablecloth. Bowing low, he pulled out a chair for me. "Take a seat, madam. Dinner will be out shortly."

I did as instructed, asking, "What are we having?"

"Enchiladas," he said, organizing the ingredients on the counter.

"Really? I was kind of in the mood for Italian."

He groaned and let his head fall to the countertop. Giggling, I stood and hugged him around the waist. "I'm just kidding. Enchiladas sound great. Is there anything—?"

"No, no, no, no, no," he chided, maneuvering me back to my seat. "You are to do nothing but sit there and look stunning. _I _have everything under control."

"Alright, alright. Does this mean we can expect you to cook around the Cave?"

"Please. I only make food for myself and my girl."

"How touching."

"Yes, I know. Sentimental, handsome, charming, intelligent. I just have it all, don't I?"

"You forgot cocky."

"Eh, no one's perfect." Clanging of pots, a spoon slapping against the side of a bowl. "So how are you?"

"Great."

"Really?"

I swiveled around to face him. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing," he insisted, setting the oven temperature. "It's just…if there ever is something…not great, if _you're_ ever not great, I want you to tell me."

"I will tell you, Wally. I promise. But today's been a good day. I was totally on my game in training—"

"Oh, I know. You were moving so fine."

Cheeks heating up from the compliment, I continued, "And Cam and I had a nice time."

"So what'd you and him do?"

"We went to lunch, then to a playground to play on the swings."

"_You _went on swings?"

"It was his idea."

"So instead of, you know, making you dinner and taking you places, I should just have a swing set installed in my backyard?"

"You're hilarious."

"What?" He put the pan in the oven and closed the door, setting the timer before sitting across from me. "I'm just saying that I would have done the whole playground thing for a date had I'd known you'd like it."

"Wally, I didn't even know I would like it until he got me there." My shoulders sagged. "You're jealous."

"Am not," he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Are too." Reaching across the table, I placed my hand on top of his. "C'mon, we've been over this. Cam is just my friend."

"I know that, I really do. I just don't want you having a good time with him."

"Do you hear yourself when you talk?"

"It feels like I have competition! And I don't want to run the risk of losing you."

"You won't lose me. Besides, you don't feel this way about the other guys on the Team."

"That's different. Those guys aren't threats."

"Well, let's see: Robin's cute, if a little on the young side, but he's smart. And Connor's gorgeous but has a very nurturing side. And Kaldur's—"

"Okay, so not helping my self-esteem any!"

"My _point_ is that I chose you as my boyfriend. I care about you differently than I care about the others. And that is not going to change any time soon."

"If we want to be technical, I chose you as my girlfriend," he pointed out.

"Oh, don't even go there. I _let _you kiss me on New Year's Day."

"But I _initiated _it."

Smiling, I moved to his side of the table and sat on his lap. "Then let me return the favor."

We made out, breaking only for brief moments of air, until the oven shrieked that our dinner was done. Reluctantly leaving me, Wally set the enchiladas on the table. "Bon appetite."

"It looks great," I told him, about to take a huge bite before remembering I was on a date and couldn't exactly do what I'd done earlier. Instead, I began cutting it into small pieces, eating them slowly and delicately. Wally, even with his metabolism, refrained from inhaling the food in less than a minute. When we were finished, he grabbed the plates, rinsed them off, and shoved them in the dishwasher.

"That was delicious, Wally."

"Thank you. I try." Pausing for a moment, he said, "I need you to close your eyes."

"Why?"

"I have a surprise." He gave me a puppy-dog look. "Please, Artemis?"

Biting back more questions, I agreed. After a few minutes, I felt his hands on my shoulders as he whispered, "You can open them."

Rose petals trailed from the kitchen to the stairs. The initial shock wearing off, I slowly followed them, Wally right beside me. As we ascended, I could faintly hear music coming from his room. The puzzle pieces were coming together, but I was too stunned to say anything until we got to our destination. More rose petals covered his bed, and candles sat, neatly arranged, on the dressers.

My throat felt like it was closing up. "Wally—"

"Not sex," he assured me quickly. "I know you're not ready for that and I will never make you do something you're not ready to do. But I just thought that we could try what we tried before. Please, Artemis. You'll like it, I promise. It won't be like anything like Terror did to you. It's not supposed to be like that and it won't be like that. Please, please let me show you that."

I wanted to say no, and I _could_ have said no; Wally wouldn't force me to do it. But he'd already gone to all this trouble and he was being so damn sweet and maybe he needed this, we needed this, and maybe it would be okay, with him, this time.

"Okay," I finally breathed.

"You sure?"

I nodded and lay down. Wally came over and kissed my forehead. "I'll stop whenever you want me to, okay? Just tell me."

All I could manage was another nod.

We started like we had before, kissing one another. His mouth traveled from my own to my neck, and I shuddered with pleasure. He took that as a sign to continue, his hands slowly, gently, inching up my back, under my shirt. With a slight tremble, he undid the strap and slowly pulled the bra away from my chest. When I didn't protest, he carefully moved his hands from my back to my front.

It didn't hurt. That was all I could think about. There was no pinching, no twisting of flesh, no nails digging into my skin. Harsh laughter and vicious degradations were replaced by music and soothing words. Relaxing, I realized it felt okay. Maybe even better than okay.

"Can I…Can I talk off your shirt?" Wally requested hesitantly a few minutes later.

"You first," I instructed.

He obeyed, throwing it to the floor. Before he could resume, I placed my hands on his abs, caressing them. "You are not the only one who gets to have fun," I murmured, tracing small designs across his skin.

"I know that," he whispered, slipping off my shirt, then my bra. Leaning closer, he left a trail of small kisses from my chest to my mouth. I gently nipped at his neck, just like he liked. We continued this way for a while, until the candles burned low and the CD was starting over.

"Was it okay?" Wally asked me, holding me against him.

"It was great." I buried my head against his chest, relishing the sensation of his skin against mine. "When are your parents getting back?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"Good. I really don't feel like going home."

He rolled us over so we were both on our sides. "For real?"

"I just have to text Mom. I'll tell her we're at the Cave."

Wally eased himself from the embrace. As he blew out the candles and turned off the radio, I left Mom a quick message.

"She alright with it?" Wally asked, pulling on a baggy t-shirt.

"Yeah." I raised my hand. "Give me one."

Reaching into his closet, he grabbed another and tossed it to me. I pulled it on as he climbed in next to me, slipping his arms around me once more.

"I feel safe," I murmured sleepily.

"You do?"

"I do."

He brushed a strand of hair from my eyes. "I'll always keep you safe, Artemis."

I responded by snuggling even closer, my head right under his chin, a perfect fit.

That night, I pretended that I slept. That as Wally snored quietly I, too, dreamed. That I wasn't overcome with images of Terror, angry that another had dared to claim me as his own. That the voice wasn't sneering, _Poor Artemis, such a shame that your knight and your prince aren't one in the same_.

I pretended for Wally's sake.

I pretended for my own.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: These characters are not on my list of Things I Own. They _are _on my list of Things I Must Obtain.

Chapter 27

I walked into the Cave, rubbing my eyes tiredly as my feet struggled to take me to Cam's room. "Cam," I called, leaning my head against his door.

"Come in."

I managed to do so, immediately landing on his bed. Looking up from his mathematics textbook, he poked the side of my face. "You look like crap."

"Good morning to you, too," I grumbled, burying my head into the sheets.

"Rough night last night? You didn't answer when I contacted you."

"I was with Wally."

"_What_?"

"Not like that," I added quickly.

"Then like what, exactly?"

Sighing, I propped myself onto one elbow. "We went to his house, and he made dinner. And then afterwards, he…suggested we…take our relationship further."

"Second?" He spat the word.

"Yeah."

"What is _wrong _with him?" he snarled, suddenly on his feet and pacing the room. "Christ, he learns you'd been raped and he thinks it's a fricking brilliant idea to try to do something with you?"

"I said yes," I interjected. "I wanted to do it."

Shaking his head, he objected, "If you'd really wanted to do it, you would have been the one to suggest it. You just went along with it."

"No!" My voice sounded constricted. "That's not how it was at all!"

"You're lying."

"I am not!"

"I can always tell, Artemis."

"I was scared," I admitted softly, to him and to myself. "But Wally had already done so much and he'd gotten rose petals and music and candles and I didn't want to disappoint him."

"You should never feel like you're getting forced to do something," Cam insisted, dropping to the floor so we were eye-to-eye. "He should have thought about you and what you needed."

"But I liked it," I mumbled, sure that I was blushing. "It worked out in the end."

"It doesn't matter. He shouldn't—"

"Please, Cam, I don't want to talk about it. I came here because I couldn't sleep at all last night and I need to get some rest."

He pursed his lips, like he was thinking about something. "Okay."

"Thank you." I started to move, but he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Just sleep here. It doesn't matter. Megan's at practice, Zatanna's doing whatever she does, and Connor's in his therapy session."

"'Kay." Reaching for one of his pillows, I lay my head down and closed my eyes.

"What do you want me to talk about?"

"Anything."

"The first time we met?"

I felt a smile tugging at my lips. "That sounds nice."

"So I'm, I don't know, ten maybe, and Dad's like, 'You're gonna meet someone today,' and I am so not looking forward to that 'cause all his friends are pretty much, you know, psychotic. But when we get there, I see you next to your dad, holding this bow that's just too big for you, and you're trying to look tough but you can't really hold it right. And I kinda want to laugh, but Sportsmaster scares the Hell out of me, so I'm pretty much hiding behind my dad, pretending I'm not there, and then they both push us forward and just wait for us to introduce ourselves…"

I sank into peaceful unconscious, landing amid a land of snow. I was young again, eight at the oldest, and Cam was there, only ten, and he offered me his signature grin before tossing a snowball at me. Shaking myself off, I retaliated, and we started chasing each other, laughing crazily, before flopping onto the snow to make angels.

Wonderland imploded as angry screams reached my ears. Sitting straight-up, I staggered out of the room, following the direction of the commotion.

Wally and Cam were in the kitchen, right in each other's faces, jabbing accusatory fingers and yelling what seemed to be incoherent nonsense. It was clear that they were seconds away from a fight.

"What is going on?" I demanded.

Immediately breaking away from Cam, Wally growled, "Your _friend _has lost his mind! I came here to grab something I left yesterday and he starts tearing me a new one!"

"You had it coming!" Cam responded.

"I did nothing wrong!"

"If you think that, then you're clueless!"

"Shut up, _Junior_."

"Make me!"

"Stop it!" I commanded, forcing my way between them. "What the Hell are you even arguing about?"

"What you _told _him," Wally replied, glaring at me.

"Wally—"

"You had to tell him _that_? Something that personal you had to go and spill?"

"Don't you dare be mad at her," Cam snarled.

"She goes around telling other people my business? I have a right to be mad!"

"It's her business, too, you jackass!"

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"Enough!"

We all turned to face Dinah, hands on her hips. Connor was behind her but decided the safest option was to quietly sneak off to his room.

"My office. Now. All of you."

Grumbling to themselves, the boys grudgingly followed, me bringing up the rear. In the room, I sat between the two of them to prevent any possible slaughter.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Dinah asked, "What was happening out there?"

"Ask him." Wally jerked his head in Cam's direction. "He started it."

"Cameron?"

"Wally did something stupid and I just called him out on it."

"I didn't do anything stupid!"

Dinah raised her hand. "What is this thing that may or may not be stupid?"

Cam glanced at me; I glanced at Wally; Wally stared at the floor and mumbled something.

"I can't understand you."

"I suggested that me and Artemis go to second," he repeated, only a little louder this time.

"And did you?"

"Yes," he said through clenched teeth.

"Alright." She focused on Cam. "And why are you mad about this?"

"He shouldn't have done it," Cam insisted. "She wasn't ready."

"She said yes!"

"Only after you guilted her into it!"

"I did not guilt her into it!" He faced me. "Did you tell him that?"

"I never said anything like that!"

"You said he'd already gone to so much trouble and that you didn't want to disappoint him."

"That's not the same as guilting me into it."

"Close enough."

"Maybe you should mind your own business and stop putting words in her mouth," Wally sneered.

"I just want to make sure she's okay."

"And I don't?"

"Not if you thought going farther with her was a good idea!"

"What's so wrong with that?"

"What's _wrong _with it? She'd been raped! The last thing she needs is pressure to do anything she isn't ready for! She was the one who brought it up last time, wasn't she?"

"You _told _him about that, too?!"

"I had to tell someone!"

"Will you fricking focus?! If she was actually ready to do this, she would have been the one to bring it up. After all she's been through, don't you think she should be the one to decide what happens between the two of you?"

"She could have said no!"

"After all that prep work? You're telling me you wouldn't have been upset if she'd said no?"

"Well, sure, I would have been upset, but I would have understood."

"So if you get that she might not have wanted to do this, why the Hell did you suggest it?"

"Because I thought it would help!"

"Help what?"

"Our relationship! I wanted to prove to her that I wasn't like Terror."

"And the only way to do that was through going to second base?"

"I don't know, alright?! I wanted to show her that it didn't have to hurt. I wanted her to realize that it would never be like that again."

"And you couldn't, gee, I don't know, wait a little bit longer to try this theory out?"

"Don't act like you're better than me! What would _you _have done if your girlfriend had been raped? What would you do if she couldn't disassociate what you did with her and what that sick bastard did to her?"

"I can disassociate," I insisted pleadingly. "I know you aren't like him."

"But you said it would all feel the same! And it doesn't, right? What you and I did last night, that was special. It wasn't like what happened between you and Terror, right?"

"It sounds more like you're trying to convince yourself," Dinah said softly.

Wally just scowled and hunched in his seat.

"Why did you suggest this?" Dinah prompted. "Honestly."

"I wanted…I wanted to be able to tell myself I wasn't him. I can't go around feeling like my girlfriend can't trust me."

"I do trust you."

"You say that, but I knew you were scared. And I thought if I could just show you it wasn't bad, you wouldn't be scared anymore." He paused. "You wouldn't be scared of me."

"Wally," I whispered, "I'm not scared of you."

"I just wanted to make you feel better, I swear. I thought it would help."

Cam rolled his eyes at that but kept his mouth shut.

Dinah leaned forward. "I think that's enough for now. Wally, I want you back here tomorrow afternoon, three o'clock sharp. Artemis, your appointments are still Tuesday and Thursday, don't forget. All of you, we're meeting on Wednesday. Artemis and Wally, you can go. Cam, I want to talk to you a little more."

We stood and left the room, avoiding looking at one another. The walk to the Cave's entrance was silent. Just before I left, Wally murmured, "We'll get through this."

"I know."

It was a good thing he didn't know me as well as Cam did. He would've known I was lying.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: No. Just no.

Chapter 28

"I'm not talking about it anymore," I told Dinah as soon as I sat down.

"Not talking about what?" she asked, oh-so-calmly.

"What we talked about on Sunday and what I'm sure Wally talked about yesterday. This whole thing has been blown out of proportion."

"Why do you feel this way?"

Crossing my arms over my chest, I slumped in my seat and glared at the floor.

_Oh, Artemis, stop acting like a child. She only wants to help you. And let's face it, you're in desperate need of that._

"I liked it," I stated firmly. "That's a good thing, right? Getting over my fear of physical interaction? So I don't get why it suddenly becomes a bad thing."

"Because you did something you weren't ready for."

"Clearly, I was ready for it. Cam's the one who insists that I wasn't."

"Wally was the one who proposed the idea."

"And I said yes."

` "So he knows you so well that he knew you were ready for this?"

Turning that thought over in my mind, I reluctantly amended, "I was ready for it but I didn't know it."

"You aren't concerned that Wally is going too fast?"

"No."

"Just two days before, you'd expressed your feelings about the subject. From that conversation, it wouldn't seem that doing such a thing would be in your best interests."

"Wally was just trying to show that it would be okay. He wanted to show me that he wasn't like Terror and he wouldn't be like Terror. And you know what? He wasn't. He wasn't like that bastard at all."

"Is that why you liked it?"

"What?"

"Did you like it because it was different than what Terror did to you?"

"No! It felt good." Even as I said those words, I had to doubt them. I reran what happened that night through my mind. Had I only liked it because it didn't hurt? The kissing I enjoyed, that much I knew. But the other stuff…maybe I didn't really like it. Maybe it was just better than what Terror had done. Maybe that was all.

Growling in frustration, I covered my face with my hands. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" She sounded genuinely confused.

"Making me question my relationship! Can't we just call this thing a victory and move on? I _believe _that I liked it; isn't that all that matters?"

"Artemis, I'm not trying to make you question your relationship," she assured me. "I just need you to think—really think—about what's going on. If you weren't ready for it, that's alright. But you shouldn't lie to yourself because that will only make things more complicated."

"I'm not lying to myself!"

_Oh, Artemis, you have gotten so good that you almost seem to believe this. Good thing I'm around to set you straight._

"Artemis, please." Her hands took hold of mine, and I glanced up. She was kneeling before me, clearly concerned. "A relationship is about both people involved. If you only did this to make Wally happy, or because you didn't want to hurt his feelings, that isn't healthy. You were not thinking about yourself."

"I was," I objected. "I mean, I thought this would be good for us."

"_Us _is not the same thing as _me_. You need to think about yourself, too, Artemis. Not just Wally, not just your relationship. No one expects you to bounce back after something like this. And you shouldn't put that pressure on yourself, either."

"I don't to lose him," I whimpered, cringing at how pathetic I sounded.

"What?"

"I can't lose Wally. And now that he knows about the rape and the fact that I'd kept it hidden from him, he thinks I don't trust him which just isn't true. I want to be the girlfriend he deserves but I don't know if I can do that yet. And it's my own fault because I was the one who initiated it the first time, even though I really wasn't ready, and Wally was just trying to be sweet and romantic, and I was afraid to make him wait."

"Why were you afraid?"

"Because I don't know how patient he can be, and I don't want to risk it."

"Artemis, if a boy really, really care about you, he will wait as long as he needs to. Do you think that Wally truly cares about you?"

"Yes!"

"Then you should have nothing to worry about." Wiping away a tear I hadn't known had fallen, she said, "You're insecure about your relationship because you're still insecure about yourself. And that is completely understandable. What Terror did to you was horrendous, but it did not change you. I know that may be difficult for you to accept, but you are still the exact same person you were before this. You do not need to prove yourself, or feel bad about yourself, or do anything you do not want to do."

I nodded weakly.

"And you never have to feel like you're going through this alone. You have me and Ollie and the Team."

"I don't want to become dependent on anyone."

"You won't, Artemis."

"I think I already have." With a shaky breath, I admitted, "I can't sleep without Cam. The night of the rape, he talked me to sleep and now I need that. I had Robin create a communicator that would only connect with mine just for that purpose. And on the night Wally and I…stayed together, I didn't sleep at all because I kept seeing Terror."

Dinah thought about that for a little. Finally, she said, "The only thing you can do about that is just force yourself to sleep without him talking to you."

"But I don't want to," I murmured, feeling stupid. "I'm scared. The flashbacks, the nightmares, they're so fricking real and I hate them. And with Cam, I don't get them."

"I know, Artemis, but you won't get better if you keep this up. You need to get past this, as difficult as that may be. You just have to remember that Terror can never hurt you again. Everything that you see is not really happening and will never, ever happen again."

"Okay."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, hugging me. "I know this is hard, but it's the only way to recover."

"I know," I replied. "Can I go?"

She nodded. "You're here tomorrow, okay?"

"I know," I repeated, standing and leaving the room, heading down the hallway to see Cam. Knocking, I asked, "Can I come in?"

"Sure."

He turned his attention from _Anna Karenina_. "What's up?"

"I don't want you to contact me tonight."

His face fell. "Why?"

"We can't do this forever. I need to get over this. I'm tired of letting Terror have power over me. And it's not fair to you, having to do this all the time."

"But I don't mind," he promised.

"I know that." I sat down next to him. "And I really, really appreciate it. But this is something I have to do on my own."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Alright. But if you need me, I'll keep it on."

"Thanks, Cam," I murmured, my throat tight. I threw my arms around him. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome." He flashed a smile. "What are friends for?"

"You're the best," I told him, sliding off his bed."

"Never forget that," he said, returning to Tolstoy.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. Even though it had been a while since that night, it was still fresh, and after what Wally and I did, I was afraid of what my subconscious would conjure. I tried to put the issue to the back of my mind, focusing on homework, but that only lasted for so long, my final marking period having a light work load. I grabbed a book off my shelf, wondering the last time I read for fun, and engrossed myself in a world that wasn't my own.

_Still searching for a Wonderland, I see. That's all well and good until you have to go home. And tonight, without Cam, you're going all alone._

That voice was really getting on my nerves, partly because it didn't know when to shut up and partly because it was always right.

Postponing sleep for as long as possible, I didn't settle under my covers until after midnight. Wrapping myself tightly in the comforter, I forced my eyes shut, keeping them closed even as Terror appeared, sneering, stomping around like the monster he was. He was silent, though, which was enough for me to lose my grip on consciousness. I shouldn't have.

_He stops stomping, eyes blazing with anger. He approaches me, bound on the warehouse floor._

_ "You little bitch," he growls, dropping to the floor to slap me. "What you think you doin', hanging with another boy? You're mine, and mine alone."_

_ "You don't own me," I protest, trying to get myself onto my knees._

_ With a kick, I go sprawling. "I don't? Really, girl, you ain't so bright, are you?"_

_ "Shut up!"_

_ "Don't talk back to me." He grabs my hair, twists it. "You really ain't in a position to do so, anyway. Icy's not here to save you. I have you all to myself." Throwing me onto my back, he straddles me. "And I know exactly what I'm going to do to you."_

_ He rips off my shirt and removes my bra. "You like this, remember?"_

_ "Not with you!" I scream, near hysterics, jerking under his weight._

_ Laughing darkly, his digs his nails into my skin. "It's all the same and you know it. You thought you liked it with that other one, but you just liked it because it didn't hurt. And that's a damn shame—a little pain makes it fun."_

_ "No, it doesn't!"_

_ "You just need a little learnin'." He pinches me, causing me to yelp. "And I'm just the man to teach you."_

_ "Get off!"_

_ Trailing his fingers along my chest, he mocks, "Tell me you like it. C'mon, girl, tell me you like it."_

_ "No!"_

_ "Oh, naughty girl. You'll need to be punished. I'll get on that, right after I have my fun."_

_ "Get off! You fricking bastard, get off!"_

_ He doesn't, God, he just doesn't, why won't he get off, it hurts, God, it hurts…_

_ "Please! Please, please, don't. Stop it, damn it, please!"_

"Stop it!" I sat up, wrapping my arms around my chest, gasping desperately for air. Whimpering softly, I glanced to see how long I'd slept. Two hours. That was it.

With trembling hands, I reached for the communicator. Screw progress. Screw getting better. I needed Cam.

"Cam? Please, Cam?"

"Artemis?"

He sounded surprisingly alert for two in the morning.

"You were still up?"

"We patrolled for a while. I just finished getting cleaned up. What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare. Terror, Terror was touching me and he wouldn't stop and it was so real, like it was happening all over."

"It wasn't real. It wasn't real and it will never be real because he will never get close to you again."

"I know." I tried to control my ragged breathing.

"Are you okay? For real?"

"I don't know. I think I will be, if…"

"If I talk to you?"

"Yeah. Please, Cam?"

"Of course."

I pulled the covers back over me and buried my head into the pillow. Every time Terror appeared, Cam's voice forced him away, until I was safe, contently playing in a land of snow.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: Still no.

Chapter 29

Wally had his arms crossed over his chest, a scowl on his face. Cam was hunched in his seat, glaring at the floor. I was stuck between them, mentally keeping track of the number of times they shot each other a dirty look. The count was up to fifteen; the session had been going on for three minutes.

"Why are we here?" Wally asked, upping the tally to sixteen before turning his attention to Dinah.

"Because you and Cameron clearly have some issues that you need to settle."

"Then why am I here?" I questioned.

"Because you are the common denominator, and you should hear whatever they have to say."

Cam leaned back in the chair and sighed. "Really, Dinah, is this necessary? Can't we just let this go?"

"I second that," Wally added.

"No. Not until you two express your feelings toward one another in a civil, calm manner."

"Cam made his feelings pretty clear last time," Wally pointed out. "He thinks I'm a crappy boyfriend."

"I don't remember ever saying that. What I _said _was that you weren't thinking about her."

"Oh, it means the same thing."

"Does not."

"Does too."

"Does not."

"Does too!"

"My God, stop acting like you're two and just _talk _to each other!" I commanded. "Is it really that hard?"

"Yes," they stated simultaneously.

I rubbed my temple in frustration. "One of you better start talking _right now _or I will never speak to either of you again!"

"What's your problem with me?" Cam demanded.

"I don't have a problem with you," Wally insisted. "You're the one who has a problem with me."

"No, I have a problem with you not putting Artemis first."

"I was putting Artemis first! I wanted her to feel better about our relationship!"

"There were plenty of other ways to go about that than what you did."

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry I don't know her as well as you do."

Cam cocked his head to the side. "Is that really why you don't like me? Because I've known Artemis longer than you have?"

"I don't dislike _you_," Wally protested, shifting uncomfortably. "I just dislike the fact that you know her so much better than I do. I'm her boyfriend, but it's you she relies on."

"I rely on no one," I interjected, ignoring the voice as it sing-sang, _Yes you do_.

"You went to him when you were raped," Wally murmured, subconsciously scratching his arm. "You kept this a secret from everyone for over a month, everyone but him."

"Dude, she didn't _go _to me when she was raped," Cam objected. "I literally walked in on it. She didn't have much of a choice but to talk to me."

"But she could have talked to me, too. And she didn't. And I guess it's stupid, but I guess I'm…I mean, I might feel, just the tiniest bit…you know…threatened."

Cam laughed, staring at Wally disbelievingly. "You feel threatened by me?"

"It's not funny!" He started scratching his arm even more, harsh red lines appearing on his pale skin. "I think our relationship is great and then boom, you show up. And suddenly I'm questioning everything because you've known her since you were kids, and you know so much about her, stuff I'll probably never get to learn, and you're just so fricking close and yeah, you're best friends, but you're also a guy. And you two just get along so well, and you have history, and I'm scared that there's something in you that I don't have. And even though she keeps promising that she cares about me and I believe her, there's still always that chance that she'll want you instead. And then I learn that she'd been raped and that you knew the whole time, and I can't help but wonder what's wrong with me that she doesn't feel like she can confide in me." Hastily rubbing at his eyes, he mumbled, "I sound so stupid, don't I?"

"You don't sound stupid," I assured him.

"You feel threatened by _me_?" Cam repeated, as though he hadn't heard a thing Wally had just said. "Why?"

"What do you mean, why? I just told you why!"

"Dude, she's totally into you. Anyone can see that. She's so fricking happy when she's with you."

"She's happy with you, too."

"Yeah, but it's a different kind of happy," he claimed matter-of-factly. "You're the one she wants to be with. And I wouldn't jeopardize that. Besides, how cliché is it, falling in love with your best friend? It just doesn't happen."

"It could," Wally insisted, looking at the floor.

"Wally, you seem awfully insecure about this relationship," Dinah said gently. "Is this really only brought on by recent events?"

He blushed and mumbled, almost inaudibly, "No."

"What?" I asked.

"It's just…you're a smart, beautiful, badass girl. And I'm just a science dweeb who becomes the target every time we play dodge ball in gym class. You're amazing, being able to do everything you do. You're a hero by your own determination; I'm one because I messed around and got powers. You just seem so out of my league. And I haven't wanted to say anything, but I kept worrying that you'd find someone you deserve. And when Cam showed up, all those fears just got worse."

"Wally, I'm not out of your league." I took his hand in mind. "How could you even say that?"

Shrugging, he gave me a half-hearted, sheepish grin. "Girls have never talked to me in school unless they were asking for help in class. A girl like you going for me? Never saw it coming. It's kinda hard to believe it's happening."  
"Well, it is." I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "And it's not going to change any time soon."

With a clap of his hands, Cam stood. "Great. Everything's settled, so we can just be going."

"Not so fast, Cameron," Dinah objected. "_You_ haven't spoken yet."

"What do I have to talk about?"

"Why you reacted the way you did. Why you were the one who initiated this whole discussion even though you were not personally involved. Why—"

"Okay, okay, I get it," he grumbled, dropping back into his seat. Facing Wally, he said, "Look, I may have overacted, and I'm sorry, but I only did it because I care about Artemis. I just want to protect her. And that probably sounds dumb because I know she can handle herself, but…ever since we were kids, we've had each other's back. It was us against the world, and when it got rough, we knew we had each other. But the one time she really needed me, the one time I had to be there, I wasn't."

It took me a moment to realize what he was saying. "Cam, you can't feel bad about not being there when Terror raped me."

"I didn't mean it when I said that," Wally added quickly. "You had no way of knowing what was happening. I was just pissed and talking stupid."

"I know. And I know. But I still feel guilty about it. I play the 'What if' game all the time, and it comes down to me being there on time and preventing all of this. And I can't do that, so I'm trying to do whatever I can to make up for it. So when I heard about what happened, I lost it, I guess. Being so soon after she was raped, I thought it was a bad thing. I should have kept my feelings to myself—it was her business, her life, but I'm just scared of any more things hurting her. So I jumped on you. And I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Wally told him. "And I get it; what I did probably sounds stupid, in context, but I just wanted Artemis to feel good about this kind of stuff. I thought, maybe this would undo what Terror had done, and help her get past it. I swear, I never would have done it if I thought it would have hurt her in anyway. I really, really care about her."

"I know you do." He glanced at the floor, then back at Wally. "So…truce?"

"Yeah." With a lopsided smile, Wally offered his hand. "Truce."

They shook on it. Crossing my arms over my chest, I mused, "Why am I having a déjà vu moment?"

"It's legitimate this time," Wally insisted. "We're seriously cool this time around. No more trying to kill each other."

"But my threat still stands," Cam warned him.

"I would expect nothing less," Wally stated.

Dinah raised her eyebrow but decided to let that slide. "Alright guys, good session. You can go."

We left immediately, jumping at the opportunity at freedom.

"Raise your hand if therapy makes your head hurt," Cam said.

Wally and I did so, Wally muttering, "I'm convinced she's a Martian in disguise—it's like she reads minds or something."

"She a magician," Cam countered. "And she somehow placed a truth spell on all of us."

"Magic isn't real; if anything, she studies the micro-expressions that flash across our faces and draws conclusions based on that."

"I like the magician theory better," I threw in.

Wally rolled his eyes as Cam and I high-fived. "Seriously? C'mon, magic is completely, one-hundred percent illogical when you think about it. The ability to change the world around you with some mystical power? Really, that's—"

Cam raised a hand to his ear. "I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of our being right."

"You're not right!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"What part of stop acting like two-year-olds don't you understand?" I laughed, jokingly slapping the back of their heads. In truth, though, I was okay with this. They were acting stupid, yeah, but the good kind. The normal-teenager kind. The on-the-way-to-being-friends-for-real kind.

It was about time that happened.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"Where's Wally?" I asked, taking a seat. "I thought Thursdays were for the both of us."

"I wanted to speak with you one-on-one," Dinah told me. Leaning forward slightly, she said, "You're making progress, Artemis, but I still feel that you're holding back."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you tell Wally what you told me? That you can only sleep when Cam talks to you?"

"Of course not! He'd flip if he heard that."

Clasping her hands in her lap, she continued, "So you'd rather keep this a secret from him?"

_Oh, she has you now. There's no right answer, can't you see?_

"He doesn't have to know about this," I insisted. "I don't have to tell him everything."

"You don't think he has a right to know?"

"Not really. Besides, it's going to stop soon, anyway."

"How did it go, on Tuesday?"

I sighed. "I got two hours of sleep, having a nightmare the whole time. I ended up calling Cam."

She nodded slowly. "Why do you think that is?"

"Why what is?"

"Why you can only sleep when Cam talks to you."

I shrugged, trying to hide my discomfort. "I don't know; just how it is. I guess after what happened, I got use to him being there for me. He just reminds me that Terror can't hurt me anymore."

"But why only him?"

"I don't_ know_, okay?" I retorted hotly.

"Then think about it. Just try to establish a reason. You'll stay dependent on him until you can tell yourself why you need him so badly."

I kept quiet, fiddling with my hair. Dead ends. I needed to get it trimmed.

_Will you focus, Artemis? Dancing around the issue won't make it go away. If anything, it'll just make it worse._

"He won't let anything hurt me," I finally whispered. "That first night, he stayed awake the whole time, watching over me, to make sure I was okay. And he just knows all the right things to say to make me forget about Terror, if only for a little bit. Don't get me wrong—I trust Wally, and I feel safe with Wally. But with Cam…it's different, for some reason."

"I think I know why. You and Cam have been friends for years, right? Since you were young?"

"Yeah."

"And you've always protected each other and stood up for one another?"

"When we could."

"Is there anyone else who has that kind of relationship with you?"

I shook my head. "No, not really. My sister, a little bit, but not as strong as the one I have with Cam."

"That's why you need him. The rest of the Team doesn't know you as well, not even Wally. And you two didn't even start off as friends, remember? But with Cam, you've always had a connection. You know that you can always rely on him because he's had the same past as you, the same conflictions and trials and pain. And he was the one who stopped Terror and saved you that night. He's the only one who knows so much about you that he can make you think about good moments of your past. He's your safety net, Artemis. He's your escape from reality."

God, Wally was right—she was a Martian. I refrained from voicing my opinions out loud, of course, and said simply, "Okay, but how does that help me in sleeping on my own?"

"You need to do what he does by yourself. You're the one who has to think about those good memories. You're the one who has to remember that your friends and your family is real, not Terror. And it will be difficult because Terror consumes your unconscious thoughts, but that doesn't make it impossible. Every time you think of Terror, you just have to force him out of your mind and think about something else."

"I can't do that when I'm asleep," I countered.

"Right before you go to sleep, think about anything but Terror. And if you have a nightmare and wake up, repeat the process. It's not going to be easy, and it's not going to happen quickly, but it will happen if you dedicate yourself to it."

"So no more calling Cam?" I tried to ask it lightly, but the words felt heavy in my mouth.

"No more calling Cam," she agreed gently. "I know you're scared, Artemis, but this is in your best interests. There is nothing else you can do but just stop. It's become a habit that you need to break."

Talking to my best friend was a bad habit. Huh. That was a new one.

_You're not just _talking _to him, you're _relying_ on him. And that is a bad habit. Because you're supposed to be able to take care of yourself and he's not supposed to be the strong one all the time. Or have you forgotten that he can break, too? Because he's human, just like you._

Temper flaring, I jerked my head to the side, as though that would somehow dislodge the voice.

"What's wrong, Artemis?" Dinah asked, concern in her eyes.

"Nothing," I mumbled.

_You're lying again. Tsk, tsk._

I was getting more and more annoyed with this stupid voice, and it was time I did something about it.

"Dinah, if I tell you something, will you promise you won't think I'm crazy?"

"Nothing you tell me will make me think that you're crazy."

"I'm hearing at voice."

If that surprised her at all, she didn't show it. "And what does this voice say?"

"I mean, it's not like one of those voices telling me to go around killing anyone or anything. It's just always pointing when I do something wrong."

"When you do something wrong?"

"Well, not wrong, but when I'm lying to myself, or when I'm not being completely honest."

"So it's trying to make you face yourself?"

"I guess so. In an obnoxious kind of way."

"Artemis, I don't think you have anything to worry about. This might just be your Jiminy Cricket trying to get through to you."

"My _what_?"

Jiminy Cricket. From _Pinocchio_?"

When I just stared at her, she elaborated, "It was a Disney moving about a wooden puppet who wanted to be a real boy. His conscious was personified as a cricket."

"So there's a cricket in my brain?"

"It's just a visual representation."

"But why a cricket? If he's made of wood, shouldn't it be a termite or something?"

"That's not the point, Artemis," she assured me, a smile playing on her lips. "All you have to know is that you shouldn't worry about it."

"But I hate it. Like, I actually want to punch it in the face. Is there any way to make it shut up?"

"Be honest with yourself. Comes to terms with what happened." She paused for a second. "I have an idea. I'll be right back."

After she left the room, I groaned and covered my face with my hand, unable to believe that I'd really said that I was hearing a voice out loud. She had to think I was crazy; _I_ thought I was crazy.

"Here." Dinah handed me a small mirror. "Confront yourself."

Maybe she was the crazy one.

"Uh, you want me to talk to myself? Aren't therapists supposed to stop that kind of behavior?"

"Just try it, please?"

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I brought the mirror up and stared at my reflection. "Hi," I said. "I'm talking to myself like a complete moron because my therapist is convinced this is a good idea. How are you? Oh, right, you're me, so you must be really confused right now." I snuck a look at Dinah. She seemed willing to wait all afternoon. Rolling my eyes to the ceiling, I continued, "Okay, I'm just going to get this over with. Look, I—you think you have to be a tough girl all the time. And you did growing up, but it's different now. You have a real family—er, a more reliable, understanding family. And no one expects you to be perfect or indestructible. So being hurt and scared, that's alright. And being worried about stuff, yeah, that's normal, too. You don't have to bottle everything up. It'll work out. Everything will be okay. But hiding stuff, that's bad. And it's only hurting you, not helping you. Because that voice? Yeah, it's as annoying as Hell. So just accept that it's going to take some time to be okay. Okay? Awesome."

I placed the mirror down and met her eyes. "Happy?"

"Do you think it helped?"

I thought it over. I'd been hearing from everyone that I didn't have to be so strong, and I knew I had people who cared about me, but I'd never actually admitted out loud that I didn't have to be tough all the time. I was so use to keeping my composure and never letting anything affect me that I never really let myself know that it would take time to heal.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think it did."

"Good." She smiled. "Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"

"Not today."

"Alright, you can go. I'll see you next week."

Leaving her office, I felt better, convinced that the voice was no longer going to bother me but worried about trying to get to sleep that night. So consumed in my thoughts, I didn't notice Megan until I'd walked into her.

"Artemis!" She pulled me into a hug, seemingly unfazed by being pummeled. "Hi!"

"Hi, Megan," I greeted, wincing at her grip. "Aren't you supposed to be at practice?"

"I was," she explained, pulling away and gesturing to her uniform. "But two of the girls on the squad realized they were dating the same boy, and, well, it got kind of ugly, so we ended practice early." Her cheeriness wavering, she asked, "Did you just have your session?"

When I nodded, she embraced me again. "Oh, Artemis, I'm so sorry. I've been wanting to talk to you about this, but I haven't known what to say and I didn't want to upset you. Are you alright? Do you feel okay? You're getting better, right? Not that anything is wrong with you or anything—"

"I'm doing okay, Megan," I assured her. "Really, I am."

"For real? Because if you ever need anything, I'm here. We all are. The Team, I mean."

"I know. Thanks."

Awkwardly rubbing her hands together, she asked, "I, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to do a girl day, or something? To help you get your mind off of this? I would talk to Raquel and Zatanna, if you want to do it. But only if you want to."

"That sounds nice, Megan," I told her.

"Really?" Another bone-crushing hug. "After combat training on Saturday?"

"Sure."

"I'll talk to the other girls as soon as I can." Releasing me, she said, "It'll be fun, I promise."

"I know it will be," I replied.

And it would, because it meant hanging out with the people who cared about me.


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: Legally, I cannot say I own these characters. It's times like this when I hate the law.

Chapter 31

"Ta-da," Raquel said, gesturing to her bright red Ford Fiesta.

"I can't believe you have your license already," I murmured, running my hands along the side of the car.

"You can get your permit at fourteen in my city. Took me a year to actually get all those hours in, but here we are."

"How did you get it here from Dakota City?"

Zatanna waved her hand. "Me. Transportation spell. Quite complex magic, I might add."

"Please. Not as complex as me having to pay for this. Do you know how many times I had to say, 'Please come again soon,' to get enough money for her?" She leaned down and kissed the hood. "Isn't that right, Keisha?"

Megan blinked in surprise. "Is the car like the bioship?"

"No, Raquel's just insane," I mused.

Ignoring me, she slipped into the driver's seat while Megan climbed into the back. Zatanna and I glanced at each other before sprinting for the passenger seat.

"Shotgun!" we shouted simultaneously, trying to squeeze into the space.

"I'm older!" I pointed out, forcing my leg inside.

"Well, I got it here!"

"Artemis gets shotgun!" Raquel declared. "Zatanna, back seat, honey."

"So not fair," she grumbled, retreating.

Once we all had our seatbelts on, Raquel put the car into drive, turned the radio up, and slammed on the gas. At breakneck speed, we were barreling away from the Cave and to who-knows-where.

"Where are we going?" I asked, struggling to speak as the wind coming in through the windows practically took the skin off my face.

"Mall," she stated, speeding through a yellow light.

"I only have so much money on me…"

"Girl, please. We are paying for you, and we are not taking no for an answer."

"But—"

"No buts," Zatanna told me.

"Today is all about you," Megan insisted.

"Guys—"

"Slow down! You have to turn!" Zatanna shrieked.

"I have it under control!" Raquel whipped the car toward the left, almost crashing into the oncoming lane.

"Why are those people putting their middle fingers up at us?" Megan inquired.

"Because Raquel can't drive," Zatanna muttered.

"I can drive just fine. Oh my God, this is my _jam_!" Cranking up the radio to full-volume, she started drumming her hands on the steering wheel in time with "No Hands" by Waka Flocka Flame.

"So, general agreement that we're never letting Raquel drive us ever again?"

"Agreed," the backseat passengers voted.

Somehow, the rest of the trip went perfectly, with only one or two close calls with other cars.

"Not so bad, right, guys?" our driver asked, locking the car.

"Yeah. We only almost-died just a few more times than we do on most missions," I joked, inspecting the crooked parking job.

Waving her hand dismissively, Raquel countered, "Hey, it ain't easy driving. Once you have your license, tell me how it is."

"It's a safe bet that she'll be better than you." Zatanna and I exchanged a high five.

"Oh, whatever. Where we going first?"

"Wherever Artemis wants to go," Megan said, smiling at me.

Truthfully, I'm really not much of a shopper, which means I virtually know no names of any stores. Searching my memory, I offered, "Forever 21?"

"My _favorite_." Throwing her arm around my shoulder, Zatanna added, "Nice choice."

Teenage girls with oversized shopping bags and teenage boys milling around like hoodlums greeted us as soon as we stepped inside. Sticking close together, we somehow managed to find the store after only ten minutes of searching. Once in, we each went our separate ways, gravitating to our own specific tastes. With only forty dollars on me, I tried to find the cheapest things, but the three shirts I loved all cost a nice chunk of change. Suppressing a sigh, I started putting them back.

"What are you doing?"

Almost jumping a foot in the air, I turned to see Raquel, tapping her foot and shaking her head.

"Nothing."

"You want those."

"Do not."

"Yes, you do. I can tell."

"But I don't _need _them."

She pointed a finger at me and raised her eyebrows. "Exactly—you don't need, you _want_. Now, hand them over."

"But they're expensive—"

"I have a job, plus money from one of those 50-50 drawings from a pep rally last week. Zatanna and Megan both get League allowances, and so far, they've spent next to nothing. C'mon, girl, let us do this for you."

Accepting defeat, I gave Raquel the shirts, murmuring, "Thank you."

"It's nothing. Now let's get going—the others have their stuff and the line's already wrapping around the store."

In the next stores we went to, I tried to refrain from showing any emotion to certain things, even if I really liked them. Don't get me wrong—I totally appreciated what they were doing for me, but I felt bad about how much money they were willing to spend. However, even if I so much as _looked _at something for longer than five seconds, one of the girls would notice and insist that she buy it. Saying no proved futile, so after a while, I just went with it.

"You guys really don't have to do this," I reiterated as we headed for one last store.

"But we _want_ to," Megan assured me. "Besides, all my clothes are organic, so I don't have to buy anything, so I'd much rather spend the money on you."

For some stupid reason, I felt myself tearing up. "Thanks," I somehow managed.

"Oh, look, bathing suits!" Raquel pointed excitedly to a store.

"Already? It's only March," Zatanna said.

"Who cares? They are _cute_."

As Raquel threw herself at the display and Megan watched with slight confusion, Zatanna glanced at me. "You alright?"

I wasn't. The thought of putting on a bikini made my stomach hurt.

"It's just..."

"I know," she murmured softly. "You don't have to try those on if you don't want to—Raquel seems to have that covered. But you should just try one. You know you'd look good."

I nodded slowly and inspected one. Light blue with sequences running across it. It was so pretty, but...

_No buts. Terror doesn't control you_, I told myself, taking it off the rack and going to the dressing room. _You're not any different from who you were before._

Slipping out of my clothes, I pulled the swimsuit on, staring at the floor the whole time. Breathing deeply, I turned to the mirror...and smiled.

Peeking out, I saw Zatanna and Megan watching Raquel as she strutted in a black bikini. "I am totally getting this one! Favorite of all time!"

"That's what you said about the last one," Zatanna teased before seeing me. "Artemis?"

Hesitantly, I stepped out of the changing room. The girls all beamed at me.

"You look so pretty!" Megan squealed. "You need to get it!"

"Yeah, girl, you look great," Raquel added. "You'll have Wally drooling when he sees you in that."

"He _always _drools when he sees her," Zatanna protested with a smirk. Sticking my tongue out at her, I ducked back into the fitting room and changed into my normal clothes.

Once we were finished shopping and were waiting in line, Zatanna asked, "Food court?"

"You really wanna eat fast food when there's this wonderful Italian place just down the road?" Raquel countered, proudly taking her bag of four bathing suits.

"Well, if it means less of your driving..." I began.

Dismissing me, Raquel continued, "It's already settled."

Debate useless, we left the mall and found her car, climbing in and preparing ourselves for the drive. What should have taken fifteen minutes took five, especially since she drove over train tracks right as the lights started flashing. Although we assured Megan that this was normal, both Zatanna and I shot Raquel a look that said we'd prefer to make it back to the Cave in one piece.

While waiting for our waitress, I noticed the others had suddenly gone quiet, staring at the menus or picking at the silverware. I knew what was coming.

"So...how are you?" Zatanna finally asked, pushing the menu aside.

"Okay," I said. "Doing okay, anyway."

"How?" Raquel stared at me imploringly. "There's no way I could have gone through what you have and be as strong as you."

"Me neither," Megan agreed. Glancing at me briefly before staring at her hands, she admitted, "I...I didn't even know what it was. I had to look it up. And then...I can't even imagine..." She covered her mouth with her hand as tears slid down her face.

"Oh, Megan, don't cry," I pleaded.

"It's not _fair_," she whispered, her voice hitching on the final word. "How he could even _do _something like that to you?"

I shrugged. "Because he's a creep. And there are a lot of sick guys like him out there."

"Cam should have killed him," Zatanna hissed darkly.

Shaking my head, I protested, "I don't want anyone killing for me. Besides, doing that wouldn't have solved anything."

"Maybe it wouldn't have solved anything, but Terror would have gotten what he deserved. Is he even going to prison for it?"

"I'm refusing to press charges. He'll be going back to Belle Reve anyway, if he ever gets out of the hospital."

"Have you heard anything about his condition?" Raquel asked.

"No one's told me anything, and really, I don't want to know. All that matters is that bastard can't go near me again."

"He won't," Zatanna assured me. "And if he did, you'd have us to kick his ass."

"Hell yeah," Raquel asserted fervently. "You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us."

"Thanks, guys," I said, swallowing a lump in my throat. "You're the best."

"We try." She smiled, but it slipped off when she asked, "How are you and Wally doing?"

"Alright. He's hurt that I didn't tell him about it sooner, but mostly he just wants to make sure I'm okay."

"Good. Because if he didn't, we'd have to have a little chat with him." Zatanna cracked her knuckles and titled her chin, as though she were impersonating the Godfather.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

"How is he with Cam?"

My head snapped up at Megan's voice. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, after Wally reacted when he found, it didn't seem that good. And I could feel the tension between them. Literally. I sensed frustration and anger from Wally. Today, though, he didn't have those vibes."

"We had a little talk with Dinah. Everything was settled between them."

"Group therapy?" Zatanna made a face. "And I thought individual was bad."

"You get use to it, I guess. It's getting easier to talk about it."

Raquel put her hand on mine. "Well, if you ever want to talk to us, we're always here to listen."

Zatanna and Megan nodded immediately, and it was in that moment I realized just how much they really cared about me. My mind flashed back to Megan mentioning us being like sisters, and I couldn't help but think that it applied to all of us girls.

"Thanks, guys," I whispered, smiling. "Thanks so much."


	32. Chapter 32

AN: Since I'm going to be a senior in high school this year, my mom's been on me about getting ready for college, and she really, really wants me to be an engineer—biomedical, chemical, that stuff. So I was re-watching "Auld Acquaintance," and when Vandal Savage is going on his tirade about glorious evolution, he mentions that they were on the cutting edge of everything, including biochemical engineering, which is how they produced the Kobra Venom. So I'm like, "YES! YES, I WILL BECOME A BIOCHEMIST JUST SO I CAN DO STUFF LIKE THIS!"

Disclaimer: Uh, hello? I just said I have to get ready for college. That means 1) I'm too young to own these characters and 2) I need a real job, so I can't own this show.

Chapter 32

_Terror sneers at me while gently stroking my cheek. I struggle against the chains and jerk against his touch._

_ "Now, don't be like that," he warns, tightening his grip and pulling me closer. "Pretty girl, you all mine."_

_ "You don't own me," I growl._

_ "Oh, that's what you think." He shoves me onto my back and straddles me, he knees digging into my side. "C'mon, stop me. If you so tough, stop me."_

_ I squirm under his weight as his fingers trail along my stomach, going lower, trying to remove my pants, and I'm screaming while he's laughing…_

I awoke with a start, almost chocking on air. Rolling onto my side, I looked at the clock—seven in the morning. With a sigh, I accepted this was as late as I would get to sleep and moved to get dressed.

I'd taken Dinah's advice as seriously as I could, placing my communicator all the way in my closet after our session. Those nights, I had been jolted into reality by a nightmare at least ten times. This night was a current record—only six. Still, it was less sleep than I wanted, and I was less than ecstatic over just how _slow _this process really was.

"It's not going to happen quickly," I muttered to myself, repeating Dinah. "Accept that."

Trying to get my mind off of it, I moved to my desk to get some homework done; having ignored it on Friday and being out all day yesterday, I figured it was probably best to do it then. I was through everything but the last half of a chemistry sheet when my phone buzzed. Stretching back in my seat, I grabbed it from my bed, expecting Wally or one of the girls. To my surprise, it was Kaldur.

Would you be free to come to the Cave today?

Yea what time

What time is most convenient for you?

Uh ten thirtyish i guess

I was tempted to ask what this was about, but I had a pretty good feeling I knew.

I will see you then.

Byez

I closed the phone and went to the bathroom to wash up, wondering just how this interaction was going to go. Sure, Kaldur and I were friends, but if he wanted to talk about what I was convinced he wanted to talk about…well, it would be interesting, to say the least.

"I'm going to the Cave in an hour," I told Mom as I walked into the kitchen.

She looked up from the pancakes she was making—ever since I'd told her what happened, she'd taken to cooking more. "All day?"

"Not sure. Kaldur wants to talk."

Placing a plate at the table, she asked, "What about?"

"He didn't say. But I think I know."

Tenderly, she reached to touch my cheek. "I know it's still difficult to talk about…"

"It's not that, not really, at least. I mean, I can talk to you or Cam, no problem. And it's not so hard with Robin or Wally or the girls on the Team. But with Kaldur, it's different. He's so reserved, so…I don't even know how to describe it."

"He's your friend," Mom said. "And he wants to make sure you're okay. Just like everyone else."

"I know." I took a bite, chewed it thoughtfully. "But I don't want them to only see me as a rape victim. I'm not just that."

She pulled me into a hug. "We know, Artemis. But it's so fresh, so soon after, and we worry."

"That's it, though. I don't want you all worrying all the time. Yeah, it's not super easy right now, but I'm doing okay. And I don't want anyone feeling obligated to check up on me."

"It's not obligatory; it's what people do when they care about someone." Kissing my cheek, she wheeled over to the stove to make her own breakfast. "Trust me, no one on your Team is doing this because this is some sort of duty."

I let that sink in as I finished my breakfast. Washing my dishes, I headed back to my room, but not before saying, "Thanks, Mom."

She just smiled, that almost all-knowing smile every mom seems to have.

Finishing the remainder of my homework, I pulled my hair into a ponytail, popped in a piece of gum, and left for the zeta-beam transporter. I played through possible scenarios of what might happen, and each one included at least one awkward silence and a lot of uncomfortable pauses.

"Hello, Artemis." Kaldur moved from his seat in the living room and came to greet me. "It is good to see you."

"Same," I replied.

Wow, the awkward silence came even sooner than I expected. Good sign.

"Perhaps we can walk along the beach," he suggested. "I find it much easier to speak there."

"Okay."

As we were about to leave, Connor walked in. Looking between us, he questioned, "You guys going somewhere?"

"To the beach," Kaldur said simply.

"Can I come?"

At first, I thought this was some elaborate set-up, both of them wanting to talk but not appearing like they were ganging up on me, but the genuine surprise on Kaldur's face told me otherwise.

"Yeah, 'course," I offered quickly. "Let's go."

It was actually a really nice day, probably the nicest of the month. It felt like spring, borderline summer, with the sun blazing in a cloudless sky. Pulling off my jacket, I tucked it under my arm, enjoying the weather to its fullest and trying to ignore the rising level of discomfort.

Dragging his foot through the sand, Kaldur finally asked, "How are you, Artemis?"

"I'm good."

"I have been wishing to speak with you, but I have not wanted to upset you."

"Same," Connor added, a little self-consciously.

"Gee, I wonder what it could possibly be about," I joked. From the way they both became fascinated with the water, I realized I probably shouldn't have said that. "Kidding, guys. Just kidding."

"I'm sorry," Connor blurted out, shoving his hands into his jean pockets.

"For what?"

"What he did to you." It was the quietest I ever heard him speak.

"As am I," Kaldur murmured. "To have endured what you did… I cannot even fathom what you are going through.

"I'm doing okay," I insisted, kicking at a half-buried shell. "For real."

"I want to kill him."

My head whipped toward Connor, face stoic, completely unconcerned with having just dropped that bomb. Kaldur's silver eyes settled briefly on the other boy before returning to gaze at the sea. It was almost like he was silently agreeing with him. And if Kaldur, calm, collected Kaldur thought that…

"You can't be serious," I said. "Connor, you really don't mean that."

"I do." The words rumbled in his throat, an angry, animalistic growl. "Terror deserves it. Hurting you like he did."

"I'm really doing alright—"

"Cadmus taught me what rape was. To familiarize me with the crimes I would need to prevent. It was detailed in the description."

I suddenly felt cold all over. Rage was burning in his eyes, the same way it had when our memories had been removed and he was running on instincts alone. That scared me. That scared me so badly.

"You can't talk like that, Connor," I pleaded. "Please, don't talk like that."

"_You _don't want him dead?" He sounded incredulous.

"No. At first, I thought I did. And when Cam started fighting him, I liked watching him suffer. But...I don't want him dead. I don't want people killing for me and I don't want people dying for me. When I was under Dad's training, I saw enough death for a lifetime. And I know that it doesn't solve anything."

"We are all just…struggling with this news," Kaldur interjected softly. "You are our teammate, our friend. We dedicate our lives to saving the people around us and yet we cannot protect you. We fight for justice and yet we know you will get none." He glanced cautiously at me. "I am assuming, of course, that you will not be taking this before a court of law?"

"I'm not. I don't need the whole world knowing what he did to me. And depending on the brain damage he has, he might not even be competent enough to stand trial."

"So that's it?" Connor demanded. "He just gets off the hook?"

"I wouldn't call brain damage off the hook." I grabbed his arm so he would stop walking. "Please, don't say stuff like this."

He kept his line of sight right above my head as he spoke: "I'm not good with words. And I just want you to know that I care about what happened to you. That it makes me sick every time I think about it. And…and it's just wrong. What happened. It shouldn't have."

I was too stunned to reply, which seemed to prompt Kaldur to talk: "In my kingdom, the defiling of a woman is considered one of the top crimes, secondary to only murder. It should be, as taking such heinous actions is most deplorable, and if I could force Terror to accept the consequences of his action, I would do so. As I have said, I cannot fathom how you must feel right now or even begin to understand the pain you have experienced. All I know is that you are perhaps the bravest person I have yet to meet, and your strength throughout this ordeal is admirable. I know, too, that such burdens are difficult to bear, and to go through this alone would be enough to break most anyone. That is why I wish you to know that I will be by your side whenever you need me, as your comrade in battle and as your friend. We are a team; we are a _family_. And I and the others, we will never abandon you."

I got chocked up at that, but it wasn't until Kaldur became slightly alarmed and Connor went into full-blown panic mode that I realized I was crying.

"I did not wish to offend you," Kaldur promised.

"You didn't," I insisted, hastily brushing the tears away. "It just really means a lot, you guys being here for me." I snorted. "God, I must look like a total idiot right now."

"You never look like an idiot," Kaldur assured me, tentatively placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks."

Shifting uncomfortably, Connor asked, "Are we supposed to, like, hug, or something?"

Laughing, I replied, "There is no mandatory course of action for something like this."

"Alright." He seemed relieve. "Making sure, that's all."

"Perhaps we can simply enjoy the view?" Kaldur offered.

I stared out at the ocean, the waves gently lapping on the shore, the water glistening from the sun. "I'd like that," I murmured, sitting down, tracing designs in the damp sand. Both boys followed suit, one on either side. "I'd like that a lot."


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: This show and these characters don't belong to me. I'm fighting for custody, but it's a losing battle.

Chapter 33

"Alright, class." Mrs. Jones stood at the front of the room, rolling the chalk in her hands. "Who would like to propose the debating topic?"

As hands shot up around the room, I relaxed in my seat, letting my mind go on autopilot. Debate was an elective, which meant an automatic A for showing up and doing the minimal work requirement. Saying one sentence in this class was the equivalent to giving an entire speech, so I was quite content with waiting till the bell almost rang before offering my insight. With my sleep cycle still off, it was a good thing this was my new first block class.

For the first half, the conversation revolved around double-standards, boys getting to do stuff that girls couldn't and vice versa. It was getting interesting when one girl mentioned that if a drunk girl wasn't able to give consent, then by the same notion, a drunk boy shouldn't be able to ask for consent; if they're both completely intoxicated, the boy couldn't suddenly be the one forced to take responsibility of the situation. This insightful proposal was instantly ruined by Danny, who responded, "'Cause girls are dumb when it comes to sex."

A bigmouth who just liked to rile people, Danny knew exactly how to get the class in an uproar, even when the thing he said made no sense. As rebuttals and arguments flew back and forth, I loudly demanded, "What's that suppose to mean?"

Everyone stopped talking, all eyes turning to me as I glared at the rat-faced loser. With a nasty grin, Danny explained, "Girls don't know how to keep themselves safe when it comes to sex. I mean, they walk around in skanky outfits and get themselves wasted, but when something happens they're so surprised. Really? You had it coming."

When he said _you_, I knew that he was referring to those hypothetical girls he'd just described. But it still felt like a personal blow, a scarring wound being slit open, the blood dripping and the pain grabbing my body. My uniform was a belly-shirt; I was walking through Gotham without paying attention; why was I so surprised I'd been raped? I had it coming, didn't I?

"You are a _moron_," I hissed, pushing down on the top of my desk to keep myself from shaking. "No girl _deserves _to get raped. No girl _has it coming_."

"Look, I ain't trying to be mean or anything, but if we want to get scientifical, males have needs. And when a male is invigorated, he cannot be stopped."

"Are you really this stupid?" one girl questioned. "Because if you are, you shouldn't be allowed to procreate."

"Don't gang up on me because your gender has a bunch of dumb whores who don't know how to keep themselves getting raped."

If any other boy had been on his side, he quickly jumped ship. In almost perfect unison, the other girls began screaming at him, hands flying crazily and pencils getting thrown at Enemy Number 1. Mrs. Jones, for reasons unknown to any of us, was just watching this exchange as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Taking advantage of the insanity and her blasé stance, I got out of my seat and approached Danny, calmly taking the abuse.

"So, you really think that if a girl gets raped, she deserves it?"

Meeting my eyes, he shrugged and stated, "She should have been more precautious."

My fist crashed into his cheek as the last syllable left his lips. Without hesitation, the girls erupted into cheers and the guys stuck to silence. Before I had a time to thoroughly inspect my handiwork, however, Mrs. Jones's hand found my shoulder. "Detention. After school. Two hours." Looking at the class, she added, "No debating."

It was hard to tell if she was trying to be funny or if it was just a poor choice of words, but it was enough to sober everyone up. Rolling my eyes, I returned to my seat with my hand out, waiting for the slip of paper. Watching Danny's cheek balloon during the remainder of class totally made it worth it, though I couldn't quite shake what he'd said out of my mind.

In gym class, while waiting for the bell to ring, Dick came over to me. "Hi, Artemis."

"Hey."

He cocked his head. "You alright?"

"I have detention after school."

He whistled. "What'd you do?"

"Punched someone in the face."

"Er, why?"

Sighing, I explained what had happened in debate. "And it sucks because I have to get in contact with Dinah somehow to tell her that I'm going to be late for the session, but I don't know how."

"Just talk to her whenever you get there. She'll understand." He looked at me. "You sure you okay?"

"Mostly. What he said…it just rattled me, I guess. A reminder."

"He's just a jerk. Don't worry about it." In a quieter voice, he murmured, "And he's completely wrong."

"I know," I replied.

"For real, Artemis. You did absolutely nothing wrong. The girl _never _does anything wrong. The only one at fault is the guy because he's the one who's so pathetic and disgusting that he can't or won't control himself. So Danny can take his stupidity and shove it."

"Thanks," I murmured, feeling better.

Feeling better, of course, did not mean I didn't have detention. After wasting an hour and a half of my life doing fricking yoga—really, that has to be part of the curriculum?—lunch and my other classes went by quickly, as is the case every time something bad is going to happen after school. Trudging to my locker to grab my stuff, I glanced at the detention slip: room 245. All the way upstairs in the opposite direction of my locker. Perfect.

Taking my time, I entered the room, keeping my eyes on the sheet so I wouldn't have to look at the teacher.

"Artemis Crock?"

I briefly glanced up. I'd never seen this guy before. That made it slightly less embarrassing.

"Yeah."

"Please give me your backpack. You'll get it once detention is over. No eating, drinking, sleeping, desecrating school property, or performing illegal activities. I will be checking on you and Mr. Grayson periodically, so behave."

"Yes," I muttered as he left the room, moving into the first seat. This was going to be a long two hours with just me and—

Whirling around, I saw Dick in the back right corner, feet propped on the desk, arms stretched behind his head. With a cheery wave, he kicked himself into a handstand position on the back of the chair before flipping off and landing perfectly on his feet. "Fancy seeing you here."

"You got detention?" I could only stare at him. "You _purposefully _got detention? How? And how did you know we'd be in the same room?"

"Yes. I got my AP Calculus teacher fired up because I proved that there was a faster, more accurate way of finding volume of revolution. And this is a _prep _school—there's only one detention room because no one gets detention. This isn't Gotham North, after all."

Ignoring the teasing dig at my old school, I continued, "You're in AP Calc?! That's a junior class. You're a freshman! Christ, you're practically a baby!"

Insulted, he pouted, "I am not a baby."

"Not like _that_," I insisted, walking toward him. "In the endearing kind of way."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever." Jumping into a sitting position on the desk, he asked, "So how would you like to spend the next two hours?"

"Anywhere but here," I grumbled, sitting beside him. "Seriously, I hate detention."

"You've had detention before?"

"You _haven't_?"

When he shook his head, I gushed, "Oh my God, you are a baby." I squeezed his cheek affectionately.

Pulling away, he crossed his arms over his chest, demanding, "Is that really necessary?"

"Yes."

"You don't act like this when we're at the Cave."

"When you're at the Cave, you're Robin. Right now, you're Dick. Robin is a superhero. Dick is a thirteen-year-old kid."

"I dislike your thought process."

"Get use to it. It's just you and me for a while."

"You know, I could probably fit through the vent, if I really felt like it."

"That would be fun to explain to the teachers."

"It's a lot easier than telling Bruce I got detention."

"Will he be mad?"

"Well, yeah, since I have a pretty crappy explanation for how I got here." Suddenly smiling, he added, "But it was totally worth it."

I smiled back. "So I guess telling him you came for me wouldn't go over to well?"

"Please. If he finds out I told you my secret identity—"

"He doesn't know?"

"No. It took him _forever_ to get him to let me tell Wally—"

"_Wally _knows?!"

"Of course. Anyway, you knowing is just our little secret."

Without warning, I threw my arms around him. "You're the best, you know that?"

"Well, duh," he chocked. "But how, exactly, did you come to that conclusion?"

"Just how you act. What you do for me."

"We're friends. It's what we do." Shifting, he continued, "We also don't try to suffocate the other person, especially when Mr. Rowan is coming back in five, four, three…"

Removing myself, I claimed my own seat while Dick sank down in his chair, looking dejected and remorsefully. I attempted to mimic that look when Rowan poked his head in, but I don't think I pulled it off as well.

"How did you know he was coming back in?" I asked once we were clear and sharing the desk again.

"Trained by the best," he replied cockily. Reaching into his blazer pocket, he pulled out a deck of cards. "Wanna play?"

"Why, dare I ask, do you have a deck of cards with you at all times?"

"I don't—my Calc teacher keeps a bunch of these around the room, stuff to do if we finish early. I figured, if I was going to go detention, might as well do something fun."

"You are an evil genius."

"Why, thank you." Shuffling the cards like he spent half of his time in a casino, he offered, "Gin?"

"Sure."

"Don't like to brag, but this is my game."

"Oh, really?" I ruffled his hair, just to annoy him. "Bring it on."

We spent the rest of detention—minus the six more times Mr. Rowan paid us a visit—playing cards. And it was nice because we talked about school and the Team and movies we'd seen and normal kid stuff. Nothing about me being raped or what Danny had said. Because we didn't need to. All I needed was someone to be my friend, and Dick was right there, dealing the cards with exaggerated flourishes and making me smile the whole time.


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: Ah, no.

Chapter 34

"You really don't know the definition of _solo_, do you?"

Red Arrow barely acknowledged me before turning his attention to the men shuffling around in the shut-down research facility. "I'm being nice."

"Allowing me to face a group of dangerous men? How thoughtful."

"Hey, if you don't want to go through with this, you can go home. Be my guest."

"Oh, don't get your tights in a twist, Roy." Crouching down and notching an arrow, I asked, "So what, exactly, is going on?"

"I briefed you."

"Giving me a ten-second blurb over the comm. link does not count as briefing."

"Fine. These guys here? Skinheads without the toughness; most have tried to join the IKA—Imperial Klans of American, the KKK's modern reboot—but have been shot down. Some tried with the Aryan Brotherhood, but no-go with that, either."

"So wannabes?"

"Exactly. Thing is, they're taking a step further than bad-mouthing people or handing out racist flyers—they made a deal with Otto Manning."

"You say his name like you expect me to know who he is."

"He was a high-ranking government official but was run out of office after his white supremacy beliefs reached tabloid fame. Manning, out for revenge, made a deal with these rag-tags, offering top-government secrets in exchange for twenty-million dollars."

"These losers have that kind of cash?"

"No. But the government does."

"Now you've lost me."

"To get with the IKA's good side, these guys are going to just hand over the secrets. The IKA is going to blackmail the individuals who are directly involved with those secrets, demanding not only money but legislation that follows their neo-Nazi beliefs. The IKA will then fork over the twenty-million to Manning."

"That plan will never work."

"No duh."

"It actually makes no sense."

"I'm not the one you have to tell that to."

"So why are we here? Can't we just let this thing detonate by itself?"

"Even though they're bottom feeders, these guys have the potential to escalate, maybe earn their way into the IKA or another organization. We get them now on conspiracy, they're off the streets for at least ten years."

"How'd you manage to find out so much information?"

Shifting in his place, he explained, "A little bit of help from another source."

I thought about that. "You know, this almost seems like something the _Shadows _would be able to do. Phone-tapping, spying, straight-up invasion of lives without anyone figuring it out."

When he didn't object, I jumped to my feet and almost screamed, "Cheshire helped you!"

Pulling me down, he hissed, "Keep quiet! And your sister may or may not have been involved."

"How did you get her onto the good side?"

"Trust me, she is nowhere near the good side. She'd just come off an incredibly hush-hush operation when we met up, which I can only assume is an extremely bad thing, when I mentioned I saw Manning meeting up with these guys from time-to-time. She offered her services."

"So you're doing this with the help of a Shadow?"

"That is not going to make it into the official police report."

"Alright." I practically sang the word, just to get on his nerves. While he just huffed and readied his weapon, I casually asked, "So are you and Jade dating?"

"I wouldn't call it that."

"You're only in it for the sex."

He released the arrow by accident and almost toppled from our hiding place retrieving it before anyone was alerted. As I struggled to hold back my laughter, he protested, "Your sister and I are not having sex. And if we were, it's none of your business."

"She's my sister—right there, that's my business."

"Well, we're not."

"Do you want to?"

"What kind of question is _that_?"

"The kind that makes you blush. It's hilarious, actually, how red your face is right now."

"I am not blushing."

"Yes you are."

"You are immature."

"You're dating a high-ranking Shadow member. You really have nothing on me."

Grumbling something I couldn't understand, he let the matter drop and focused on the men anxiously milling around below. A few minutes later, another man arrived, carrying a briefcase and walking like he owned the place.

"Manning?" I whispered.

Roy nodded and narrowed his eyes in concentration. "As soon as I take him out, get ready to keep the others from escaping. They're smart enough to know they wouldn't last long in prison."

With that, his arrow was released, zipping through the air and hitting the center of the briefcase. As the high-density polyurethane foam left Manning incapacitated and led the others to panic, I released a string of explosive arrows near the exit, enough to keep the herded inside. Roy zip-lined down and engaged in hand-to-hand combat, and I followed his lead.

It was easy to see why no white supremacy group would let these guys join. Their biggest mistake was having no weapons which, although making our job so much easier, left them virtually defenseless because they also had no fighting skills whatsoever. Even though it was fifteen against two, the fight last five minutes.

"You have two options," Roy told the nine conscious men, all staring at their fallen brothers in fear and disbelief. "One, you can be peaceful while I tie you up and wait for the police to haul you to jail. Two, you can try to fight us again, get knocked out, and then be sent to jail. What'll it be?"

No one moved.

"Congratulations, your first smart decision in probably forever," I told them drily, watching Roy unravel a few zip-line arrows to use as ropes.

"Silence, you jungle beast," the one man spat.

"What's that suppose to mean?" I demanded.

"You're not white," he snarled. "You come from the forsaken land of the yellow man. From what demonic place to you hail, creature?"

"I'm part Vietnamese," I said, taking some satisfaction in the man's wince of pain as the wire dug into his skin. "But I'm also French."

You would've thought I told them that I murdered puppies and roasted children over a fire. Horrified looks crossed their faces as some of them actually gasped.

"That is an abomination!" the man shrieked. "The mixing of the races is strictly forbidden! You…You are a _demon_, a sign of the collapse of the civilized world!"

"Shut. Up," Roy growled.

Inspecting the red-clad archer, the big-mouth continued, "Now, you, you are pure. _You _are of the supreme race. Why do you sully yourself by interacting with things such as her? She is _nothing_, no better than a dog, no—"

A hand around his throat shut him up. "Listen to me, you small-minded bigot. She is one of the bravest, strongest people I know. She has been through Hell and back more times over than I will ever know, and she's still fighting on the good guy's side. So you had better _apologize _to her _right now_."

"I will not apologize to a jungle rat!"

Grabbing him harshly by the jaw, Roy hissed, "That wasn't some sort of suggestion. So it can either happen before or after you have no teeth left."

Accepting that Roy was not joking, the man swallowed and mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"Say it like you mean it!" Roy's grip tightened, his nails digging into the flesh.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, his voice squeaking with pain.

With an angry jerk, Roy released the man. Looking at the others, he demanded, "Anyone else have anything to say about her?"

Silence.

"Good. The police will be here soon enough. Have fun waiting."

He stormed out of the building, me close behind. I tried to think of something to say, but nothing came.

"You alright?"

I blinked in surprise. "Fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Don't know. Just…what that guy was saying."

"He's a skinhead. I was expecting something like it. The real question is, are you okay?"

"'Course. I wasn't the one insulted."

"You kinda acted like you had been."

"What? Protecting a friend is suddenly a crime?"

"No. It was just a little, hmm, what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Excessive?"

"Rambo."

He snorted. "If I'd acted like Rambo, his head would be smashed all over the floor."

"Seriously, Roy, what was up with that?"

He stopped walking and glanced at me. "I don't want you feeling bad about yourself. After…" He waved his hand through the air, as though that was a perfect substitute for the word he needed. "You don't need a bunch of idiots saying stupid things about you. Because they don't know a damn thing about you." Crossing his arms over his chest, he stared at the sky and asked, in an almost pleading voice, "You know what I mean, right? What I'm trying to say?"

"Yeah," I murmured. "Yeah, I do." I hugged him around the waist, mumbling into his uniform, "Thanks, Roy."

"This whole hugging business really needs to stop," he informed me.

"Then why do you hug me back?"

Without an answer to that, he sighed loudly and muttered, "You wanna get something to eat?"

"I have school tomorrow."

"I have college. Seriously, is half an hour really going to hurt you that much?"

Well, when he put it that way… "You're paying."

"Ugh, fine."

As we continued walking, I teased, "You know, Roy, under that tough exterior, you're nothing but a marshmallow."

"Only when it comes to people I care about."

I smiled at that, and I didn't stop for the whole night.


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I have no rights to this show. None at all. Seriously.

Chapter 35

"How are you doing?" Dinah asked.

"Not bad," I replied.

"You didn't punch anyone today, I'm guessing."

I smirked. "I didn't need to."

She raised her eyebrows, just a little, but I'd gotten good at reading her. Before she could say anything, I amended, "Violence is never the answer. I know. I'm only kidding."

"So you regret punching Danny in the face?"

"It was _wrong_, but I don't regret it. What he was saying—it was repulsive. If I hadn't done it, someone would have."

"Are you sure about that?"

"We all wanted to."

"But you're the one who actually did it." Leaning her head on her hands, she inquired, "Why do you think that is?"

With a shrug, I offered, "Instincts coupled with years of training."

She just gave me a look, so I sighed and mumbled, "It felt like a personal dig."

Nodding, she said, "You're still sensitive to this kind of topic. And that is perfectly normal. What you have to remember, though, is keeping your emotions in check. You cannot allow yourself to lose control."

"It's disgusting," I muttered, "how people can think like that. We're in the fricking twenty-first century and people still have the nerve to blame the girl for everything. No one wants to be raped." My voice hitched, but I pretended it didn't. "No one deserves it."

"That's all you have to keep in mind," she told me. "There are plenty of stupid, ignorant people in this world. What they say doesn't matter." In a softer voice, she continued, "Because you did nothing wrong. You did not ask for this to happen, you did not want this to happen, you did not deserve this to happen."

"It still hurts, hearing stuff like that."

"I know. And it probably always will because you have experienced this first-hand and you know how much it hurts. And that's okay. What's not okay is—"

"Attacking the people who say it," I finished. "Yeah, I get it."

"You know you didn't deserve this, right, Artemis?"

"Of course!" I tried to meet her eyes, but I couldn't quite do it. "I mean, I know it's not my fault and I know what Terror did was wrong but there's always those _ifs _going through my head. _If _I had been on my guard. _If _I hadn't gone on patrol that night. _If _I'd just been home a little earlier or a little later."

"Don't put yourself through that," Dinah urged. "That is not healthy—that's dwelling on it. That's putting the blame and responsibility on yourself. And that is not where it belongs—Terror is the only one at fault. The _only _one. You did not, in any way, bring this upon yourself."

I just nodded, not trusting my own voice. Intellectually, I knew that it wasn't my fault. Deep down, though…I wanted a way to prevent this from happening, if I ever had a re-do in my life. And I couldn't change who Terror was, so the only other option was to change what I had done.

"Playing this game will not change the fact that you had been raped," Dinah murmured gently. "Nothing will ever change that. And you should never try to think of things you could have or might have done to keep it from happening. Focus on the present, on the future. That is what you can control."

"Okay," I managed, swallowing a sudden lump in my throat.

"How have the nightmares been?"

"Getting better. I only have three a night now."

"And you haven't contacted Cam at all?"

"No."

"That's good. That's a clear sign that you're making a lot of progress."

"Thanks." I stared at my hands. "What…what I'm about to say is probably going to sound really stupid."

"I'm sure it won't."

"I miss talking to him. Not _why _I needed to talk to him, but just doing it. I don't get to see him during the week, and I…I miss him. I forgot how close we were after we stopped seeing each other as kids, and now, I don't want to lose that again."

"That sounds perfectly reasonable to me." She thought for a moment. "He probably should have a cell phone, at his age."

I snorted. "He's not going to just accept a cell phone."

"It'll be issued by the League, the same way Kaldur, Connor, and Megan got one. And if he says anything, I'll have to pull the mentor card and _insist _that this is non-negotiable."

"Thanks, Dinah," I said, smiling.

"You're welcome, Artemis. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"

Shaking my head, I stood. "I think I'm good. I'll see you next week."

"Good-bye. Don't forget what I've said, okay?"

"I won't."

Leaving her office, I headed down the hall to Cam's room and knocked on the door. "Frostbite? You in there?"

"No, I actually have a life. Just bought it on e-bay."

"You're hilarious." I opened the door and stepped inside. "Really, you never cease to make me laugh."

Looking up from his book, he stared at me in shock. "Did I tell you that you could come in? Privacy, anyone?"

"What could you have possibly been doing?"

"Well, I am a teenage male all by himself—"

"Ew, Cam!" I chucked a pillow at him. "Do you have to be gross?"

He grinned and retaliated, the pillow bouncing off my stomach and landing on the floor. "Why, yes, I must. It's something I'm very good at." Leaning back, he asked, "So what's up, Rapunzel?"

"Not much." Flopping onto the bed, I said, "I just figured we could hang out or something. It's been a while."

"Don't you have school tomorrow?"

"We had a sub fourth-block. Finished all my homework then. And no tests or quizzes or anything like that tomorrow, so why not?"

"Sure." Leaping up, he grabbed my arm and pulled me with him. "So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know—you pick."

"Your idea—you pick."

"You!"

"I'm older!"

"We're not little kids anymore, Cam! That doesn't work on me."

"I'm still older."

"Don't you remember how we use to settle conversations that started like this?"

Before he could respond, I jabbed him in the ribs. He laughed and tried to defend himself, but I kept at it until he was on the floor, barely able to breathe. Taking this opportunity, I sat heavily on his stomach. "So, Cam, what do you want to do?"

"Using my weakness against me is so not cool."

"Cry me a river. _After _you figure out something to do."

"We could go to the park," he suggested.

"Okay."

"You know, Artemis, what's different between now and this situation back in the day?"

"What?"

"I'm not afraid to do this." He bucked under my weight, throwing me off of him. As I started to my feet, he was already out the door and sprinting for the exit.

"I'm going to get you for that, Frostbite!" I shouted, giving chase.

We were at least a mile from the Cave, running down the sidewalk, zigzagging around the few people out at this time on a weekday afternoon, before Cam finally paused long enough for me to catch-up. Jumping onto his back, I threw my arms around his neck. "You are such a jerk!"

"Then why are you my friend?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my legs and resuming his run.

"Cam!" I laughed, keeping a tight grip to keep from falling off. "You're insane!"

"Just another wonderful quality I possess," he insisted, taking a sharp left, a short-cut through a school parking lot. When we arrived at the park, he loosened his grip and said, "You can get off now."

"You are unbelievable," I mumbled, lightly punching him in the shoulder.

He gave a mock-bow. "Thank you, thank you."

"So what, exactly, do you want to do?"

"I don't know, walk around? It's a park, after all."

"Why'd you pick here, exactly?"

"I just thought it would be nice, you know? Being spring and all."

I looked around. Under a pure blue sky, the trees lining the path were getting their buds, bright pink against the dark green. Despite a harsh winter, the grass was lush and healthy. Birds were zipping through the air, and squirrels were chasing each other across the ground. Turning to Cam, I smiled. "Yeah, it is nice. Good idea, Cam."

We walked along the trail, enjoying the scene and talking. It was nice, everything so peaceful and beautiful and new. Winter—dark and cold and so very, very bitter—was finally over.

"Ducks!" Cam suddenly veered off the path, toward the lake. "C'mon, Artemis!"

I rolled my eyes and went after him, repeating, "You're insane!"

"Why?"

"Because!"

"Oh, wow, ingenious answer there, Archer Girl." Kneeling at the edge of the water, he pointed to the male and female duck. The female was nestled on the side of the bank while the male circled protectively in front of her. "She's watching the eggs, and he's watching her."

"How do you know?"

"The guy duck always looks out for the girl duck when she's looking over the babies. You know, sometimes I think animals are smarter than humans."

"I don't doubt it."

"That better be Wally with you."

"Oh, you mean after he impregnated me?"

"Not _that _part," he insisted quickly. "Just the looking out for you part. That's the kind of boyfriend you deserve."

"And that's the kind of boyfriend I have." After a moment, I nudged him and added, "It's also the kind of best friend I have."

"Yeah, I know, I'm kind of awesome that way."

"For real, Cam. You've been great through all of this. And I really, really appreciate everything."

"Best friends," he murmured. "It comes with the territory. We've always had each other's backs. That's never going to change."

"Good." Wrapping my arms around my knees, I glanced between Cam and the newlywed ducks. "Because I never want it to change."

"Then it won't," he said simply.

We sat there for hours, watching the water fowls glide across the water, until the sun sunk down and the sky blazed soft rose and fiery red.


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I do not own _Young Justice_. I am also not Rebecca Black or Elvis Presley. Now that everything's in order…

Chapter 36

"It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday."

Grabbing all of my things from my locker, I glared at Dick and demanded, "_Why _are you singing that infernal song?"

"Because it's Friday and you have to get down on Friday," he stated, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Turning on my cell phone—there's a zero-tolerance policy at our school—I began cramming my binders and books into my backpack. "I hate that song."

"You have to admit, it's catchy."

"It's annoying as Hell."

"Funny, I always thought Hell would be more painful than annoying."

Before I had a chance to answer, my phone started buzzing. A text from Wally: _Hey babe call me when u get this. _It was sent at 12 o'clock.

Punching in his number, I held the phone to my ear, trying to ignore Dick as he poked me repetitively and asked, "Who are you calling?"

"Artemis?"

"Hey, Wally. Just got your text. Teachers are Nazis here and _will _take your phone if you have it on you," I explained, sticking my tongue out at my immature friend, clasping his hands together and making kissing sounds.

"No problem. Just wanted to know if you wanted to come to the Spring Fling—it's not a school dance or something like that, just a big block-party thing Central City always has. Food, games, music, that kind of stuff."

"I'd love to. What time?"

"I'll pick you up around six?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then."

"Later, babe."

Closing the phone, I dropped it into my bag and shot a dirty look at Dick, who was smirking at me. "What?"

"Artemis and Wally, sitting in a tree—"

"Don't you dare," I told him, trying to get him into a headlock. He easily dodged and kept going, "K-I-S-S-I-N—"

"You really want to do this when you have your own girlfriend and there are ample opportunities for me to embarrass you?"

Shutting up, he coughed a bit and proposed, "We'll just pretend this never happened."

"There you go." Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

We went our separate ways, me to the bus loading platform and him to the car pick-up zone. I somehow survived the trip home, even with all the boys in the back of the bus having an impromptu sing-along to "Friday"—this song has greater mind-controlling powers than Megan—and everyone else cheering them on.

"Hi, Mom," I called, heading to my room. "I'm going out with Wally tonight, okay?"

"He's picking you up?"

"Yeah. At six." Dropping my book bag next to my desk, I moved to my closet. "We're going to some spring festival in Central City."

"Curfew's eleven."

"I know, I know. Don't worry." I grabbed a dark green holster top and a pair of light blue jeans and threw them on my bed. "I won't be late."

"And you'll text me once you're there?"

"Of course," I assured her, slipping out of my school uniform and pulling on the other clothes. Freeing my hair from the ponytail, I ran a brush through it and, once it was acceptable, moved on to my make-up. With two and a half hours left to kill, I decided to get my homework out of the way. Just as I was shoving everything into its rightful place, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," I yelled to my mom as I raced out of my room. Running my fingers through my hair, one last-ditch effort to tame it, I opened the door. "Hi, Wally."

He was leaning against the frame, clearly trying to look cool, but as he tried to straighten himself without using his hands, he almost toppled to the floor. Collecting himself, he grinned. "Hey, babe. You look great."

"Thanks," I murmured, kissing his cheek. "So do you."

"You ready?"

"Yeah. Just give me a second." Walking back down the hall, I went into Mom's room. "Good-bye, Mom." I knelt down to give her a hug.

"Have fun," she told me.

"I will," I promised, standing to leave. When I got back to the front door, I said, "Let's go, Bay Watch."

Snickering at the nickname, he picked me up and sped us to his city's town square. Kids were running around, most with face paint on and a couple carrying balloons. The adults were chatting it up, occasionally checking to make sure none of their children were seriously injured or in the midst of being kidnapped. Tables of food were set up, pizza and pasta and cheeseburgers and just about anything else you could imagine. Scattered throughout the area were games and booths, with a live band at the center of everything.

"Wow."

"Yeah. Winters suck here, so when the weather's nice, it's a good enough reason to celebrate." Entwining his fingers with mine, he asked, "Wanna get something to eat?"

"Even if I didn't, you would," I teased, right as his stomach rumbled.

"Hey, it's not my fault I have a speedster's metabolism. Besides, you know how much energy it takes to get from here to Gotham and back?"

As we got in line, I questioned, "Where does all the food come from?"

He shrugged. "Volunteers. Everyone tries to sign up for something, you know? Oooh, hot dogs!"

When we each had a plate of food (two plates, in Wally's case), we sat down in front of the band. "This is actually really nice," I said. "Gotham doesn't do anything like this."

He snorted. "It's Gotham. Being dark and scary comes with the territory."

Stealing a cookie off his plate, I protested, "It's not always that bad, you know."

"I know." He kissed my forehead. "It can't be if it has people like you."

Blushing, I took a bite of my contraband before shoving the rest in his mouth. "That's so sappy."

"It true," he insisted. After a moment, he murmured, "You're the best thing to ever happen to me."

"Even better than getting your powers?" I joked.

"So much better," he told me, completely serious. "I've never felt this way about anyone, Artemis. I care about you so much."

"Oh, Wally." I pulled him into a hug. "I care about you, too."

"And I just wanted to apologize for all the times I've been a jerk."

"What?"

"You know, acting like I did with Cam and all."

"You've apologized already."

"To him, yeah. But not to you. I must've made you feel like you had to pick between us, didn't I?"

"No," I muttered, quickly taking a bite out of my cheeseburger.

"Really?"

"Okay, fine, maybe you did. But I know you didn't mean anything by it. You were just being… you know, yourself."

"It was still stupid." Scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably, he continued, "I mean, I have no right to try to dictate who you hang out with or what you do. If you said Cam was your best friend, I shouldn't have acted like an idiot about it. It's your life, and I have no control over that." In a softer voice, he said, "And I don't want to have control over it. One of the things I like most about you is your independence, your toughness. And I never want you to lose that."

"Trust me, Wally, I never plan on it."

"I know." He smiled, but it didn't seem all there. "But if I ever do something that even makes you think that I want to take that away from you, tell me, okay?"

I put the pieces together. "You're still upset over…what happened?"

He nodded. "I should've known you wouldn't have been ready for it. I shouldn't have even suggested it. But I thought…I thought it would make us closer, you know? Like it would somehow undo everything that had happened to you and would make everything go back to normal. But I was just being selfish because you'd been _hurt _and of course you're not just going to get better just like that and I shouldn't have expected that and I shouldn't have forced you to do it and I'm sorry—"

"You didn't force me," I protested, taking his hand in mine.

"You did it to make me happy."

"That's not the same as forcing me. I can speak up for myself, Wally, and I should have said that I wasn't ready."

"I should've known better. I shouldn't have acted like…like him."

"Like who? Like Terror?" The way he looked down, I knew I guessed right. "Wally, you're nothing like Terror, okay? _He _forced me; you didn't. It's not the same. It's not even close. I'm not scared when I'm with you. It doesn't hurt to be with you. I like it when you kiss me and hold me and tell me I'm pretty. You're not like him, and I know you will never be like him. So stop thinking like that or I'll kick your ass."

He smiled again, and this time, it was for real. "Alright, alright, babe. No need for violence—I'm a lover, not a fighter."

Rolling my eyes, I gave him a small shove and turned back to my food. He did the same. Afterwards, he insisted on playing the games, even though they were carnival-style and clearly rigged. Twenty-three dollars and seventy-five cents later ("Hey, at least it's going to charity!"), he presented me with an oversized stuffed tiger.

"Thank you," I giggled, trying to find a suitable way to hold it.

"Anything for my girl," he replied, giving me a quick kiss. "Listen, I'll be right back—I'm getting something to drink. You want anything?"

When I shook my head, he wormed his way through the crowd, leaving me with my new pet and a sudden mob of children, all staring at it with admiration before running off to tell their parents that _yes_, the games were _totally _winnable.

"Making friends, I see," Wally mused, arriving just as the last of the kids scampered off.

"You just gave them all false hope of winning a prize like this."

"Ah, well, they'll get over it." Taking a sip of his soda, he nodded toward the band. "You like them?"

"Yeah, they're not bad. Why?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, but I saw a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Before I could grill him about it, though, the band finished their song and the lead singer addressed the crowd: "This next one is an oldie but goody, dedicated to Artemis from her boyfriend, Wally." Pointing toward us, he continued, "Young love at its finest, folks."

My face blazing, I gaped at Wally as he just smirked—he was not allowed to hang out with Robin ever again—and asked, "Surprised?"

"I can't believe you," I hissed, trying to ignore the people grinning at us. That's when the music started: "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You."

"Can I have this dance?" he inquired, placing his drink down and holding out his hand.

Wordlessly, I dropped my prize and took it, still not believing that this was actually happening. As we swayed to the melody, he mused, "You know, I really can't tell if you want to punch me or kiss me."

"I really want to punch you," I said, watching the other dancers around us. Looking into his eyes, I continued, "But I want to kiss you even more."

"Good." He rested his forehead against mine. "Because I really want to kiss you, too."

It was the best kiss of my life.


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: Things you recognize and things I own are not the same.

Chapter 37

"The Joker has escaped from Arkham," Batman deadpanned as soon as all of us were in the conference area.

Robin rolled his eyes. "Again?"

"Yes, again. But this time, he brought Two-Face and the Riddler with him." Typing on the holographic computer, pictures of villains appeared on the screen. "And they've already met up with Merlyn, Onomatopoeia, Dynamix, and Killer Croc. You are to apprehend them. Generally, this would be League priority, but we are currently preoccupied with simultaneous prison riots occurring throughout the country."

"Prison riots?" Cam repeated.

"Not Belle Reve." Shifting to another setting, video feed from the penitentiary played. The inmates were all secured in their cells. "As soon as the riots began, we increased the security in order to prevent yet another outbreak. Superman and Wonder Woman are both on guard, to be safe.

"Take down the Joker's team. They are currently attacking Washington, DC. Be careful—these villains are highly dangerous, and how long it will take to subdue all the riots is unclear. As a precautionary measure, you will be accompanied by a Leaguer."

"And that means you have to listen to whatever I say," Roy told us, stepping forward from the shadows behind Batman.

Robin and Wally exchanged a high-five. "Sweet!" Wally exclaimed.

"Missed us?" Robin asked as Roy joined the group.

Playfully knocking their heads together, he responded, "Maybe. But three of these villains are Star City—my turf."

"And mine," I interjected.

"And mine," Cam added.

"I've been protecting it longest," he clarified, leading us from the room toward the exit.

"Hasn't Green Arrow been doing it the longest?" Cam offered innocently.

Roy scowled at him. "No need to be a smart-ass, Junior." Wincing, he amended, "Ice. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Speedy," Cam objected, quickly maneuvering around him and getting into the bioship. "Oh, sorry, I meant Red Arrow."

"This is going to be a long flight," Roy grumbled.

Robin just smirked. "This is going to be hilarious."

It only took us to get into our seats for Cam to calmly ask, "So, Red—can I call you Red?"

"No," he grunted as the ship ascended.

"So, Red, the entire villain community is dying to know why you chose this new name. Any comment?"

"What's with the present tense?" Roy demanded. "You're not with the villain community anymore."

"They're still _wondering_," Cam insisted, an unsaid _duh_ hanging in the air. "So what gives with the cop-out of a name?"

"It's not a cop-out."

"Dude, you changed one word of your mentor's name. It's not extremely original."

"I needed a name when I went solo. _Speedy_ would only associate me with him."

"But Red Arrow doesn't? Do you know what associate means?"

Raquel laughed at that, immediately covering her mouth with her hand and sinking in her seat as Roy shot her a look. "You try thinking of a name that revolves around arrows." Glaring at Robin, who had just opened his mouth, he added, "That's _not _Robin Hood."

"I'm not saying it would have been easy," Cam insisted. "But you could have put in a little more work than, 'Hey, my uniform is red! I will be Red Arrow!'"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Roy countered, "Oh, because Ice is so creative? That's like calling myself Arrow. And let's not forget that your first alias was even more of a cop-out than mine."

Shrugging, Cam replied, "I was eight. It came out of affection."

Deciding not to touch on that subject, Roy veered the conversation back on course. "And who even cares that I changed my name?"

"You're whole reboot surprised everyone. It was big talk in Belle Reve."

"Really?"

"What else are we suppose to do there? Reform?"

"Who said what about it?"

"Well, Dad thought your costume was an improvement, you know, from looking like a five-year-old playing dress-up."

Both Wally and Robin burst into hysterics, and I allowed myself a smile at the anger that crossed his face. "My first uniform wasn't that bad!"

"You had a fricking Yankee Doodle hat!" Cam practically yelled, waving his arms for emphasis.

"It was kinda silly," Zatanna murmured, trying to keep her face stoic

"Was not!" Roy retorted hotly.

"Was," Cam said. "Anyway, Brick thinks the name is suiting 'cause it sounds like a stripper name and you look like a stripper."

"_What_?" Roy screeched, jumping up from his seat, but it was mostly drowned out by Wally and Robin's laughter. Zatanna, Raquel, and I were biting back out amusement, Kaldur looked more shocked than anything, Connor only seemed slightly intrigued, and Megan appeared completely confused, presumably because she had no idea what that meant.

"It's the whole no-sleeves things. Frost thinks you don't look like you're about to fight crime so much as jump out of a birthday cake."

Face blazing, Roy tried to say something, but since we were all too preoccupied with laughing at him, he refrained.

"Look on the bright side," Robin interjected once he calmed himself. "At least no one thinks you have a thing for prostitutes."

"What?" I inquired as Connor scowled and slumped in his seat.

"Don't worry about it," Cam instructed smugly.

"Don't give me that." I threw an arrow at the back of his head, and he squawked indignantly.

"Top-notch team you have here, Kaldur," Roy muttered sarcastically.

Kaldur smiled, a patient kind of smile. "Indeed it is. We are close-knit. It is most helpful when working in sync."

"Plus none of us look like we work the poles," Raquel added, snapping her fingers on the final word.

"I hate all of you," Roy grumbled.

"Love you too, Red," Cam called.

Instead of retaliating, he asked, "So what do you think these guys are up to?"

"Perhaps this is another attempt at the Injustice League," Kaldur proposed.

"Injustice League?" Cam repeated.

"Remember the day the giant plants attacked?" I said.

"Sure—it was all over the news."

"Well, that was the Injustice League: Joker, Count Vertigo, Poison Ivy, Black Adam, Wotan, Atomic Skull, and Ultra-Humanite." Playing with his wrist computer, Robin pulled their pictures on the screen. "Turns out they were the fall guys for the Light."

"The Light?"

"Vandal Savage, Ra's al Ghul, Lex Luthor, Queen Bee, Ocean Master, the Brain, and Klarion the Witch Boy." Their pictures replaced the others. "Dead set on bringing the human race to its "glorious evolution," which can only be accomplished by destroying the Justice League and allowing natural selection to take its course."

"Wow. Harsh."

"You think?" Wally was thoughtful for a moment. "You know, the Light was the one who installed Strange as Belle Reve's warden. Cam, do you think your dad has connections with the Light?"

"Doubt it. Dad isn't really the take-orders kind of guy. Besides, I doubt he could take anything known as a glorious evolution seriously, not to mention he thinks Savage is a cocky bastard and the Brain a total joke."

"Not much love among the villains," Zatarra mused.

Cam shrugged. "Pride thing. Trying to be better than the other guy."

Getting back on the original topic, Connor addressed Kaldur: "So you think this is an Injustice League revamp?"

"It is hard to tell," he admitted. "The League was merely a distraction for the Light. But with the prison revolts occurring, it would seem as though this group is the mastermind."

"Unless the Light's having a distraction for the distraction," Robin offered. "Though that seems a little excessive. You know, Joker might just be doing this for fun."

"Fun?" Megan repeated.

"He has a sick mind. He's bored, decides to have a big hurrah. There really is no thought process behind what he does."

"You'd think someone would learn to keep him locked up," Roy muttered.

"Why can't he be taken to Bell Reve?" Megan questioned. "I mean, he's just as dangerous as Brick or Icicle, maybe even more."

"He's not mentally stable," Robin explained. "And he legally can't be tried, which means the only option is an institution for the criminally insane."

"It shouldn't matter if he's nuts, he should be sent to Belle Reve," Cam murmured. "Clearly, Arkham isn't working, and the guy has no conscious."

"You speak as though you know him," Kaldur said quietly.

"Met him once—Dad had a meeting with Freeze in Gotham. They're talking when the clown shows up, unexpectedly, saying he wants to see how his Arkham buddy was doing. Spots me and gives me a creepy kind of smile, hands me a lollipop. Tries to, anyway, but Dad gets between us and knocks it out of his hand. Joker says it has nothing that would _kill_ me, just do a little damage, and then he laughs. Dad tells him he better never go near me again and almost drags me out of there. I never saw him so freaked out before."

"Joker has that effect on people," Robin whispered, his voice serious.

The rest of the time was spent in a solemn silence.

"Okay, what's the plan?" Wally asked when out ETA was five minutes.

"There are seven of them, ten of us," Kaldur recounted. "Red Arrow, you are most familiar with Onomatopoeia, Merlyn, and Dynamix. How much of a threat do they pose?"

"Onomatopoeia is always armed with guns, so be careful of that; getting him from a distance is best. Merlyn has a shot that rivals GA's, so that's something to watch for. Again, taking him down with a long-shot is best since he prefers real arrows to trick ones. Dynamix is super-strong but not that intelligent. Work smart, not hard against him."

"Same with Killer Croc," Robin added.

Nodding slowly, Kaldur instructed, "As the group has scattered, so must we. Red Arrow, focus on Onomatopoeia; Artemis, I trust you against Merlyn. Superboy and I will focus on Dynamix; Ice and Rocket, take down Killer Croc. Robin and Miss Martian, the Joker. Kid Flash, the Riddler, and Zatanna, Two-Face."

"Before anyone does anything, take this." Robin pulled out a small bag of white pills. "Joker Venom antidote. Just in case."

After we had each taken one, Aqualad told Miss Martian to put the ship into camouflage mode and bring it down. From where we were, we could see Dynamix attacking civilians and Merlyn's arrows raining down, but where the others were, it was unclear.

"Miss Martian, the mind link, please."

_We're good? _she tested.

_Good_, Superboy replied, immediately leaving the ship to take his target.

_As am I_, Aqualad offered, following his comrade.

_You have me_, I answered, brandishing my bow and heading out.

The others' voices sounded in my head, but I was more focused on finding the enemy. From what I could tell, his weapons were coming from the top of some high-tech science lab. Long distance was not an option. Trying to be as inconspicuous as I could, I approached, sneaking inside and racing up the stairs—the staff must have evacuated because the place was deserted. Once I reached the door marked _ROOF_, I took a deep breath and gently opened it.

Merlyn's back was to me, but as soon as I pulled the string taut, he whipped around. "Green Arrow's newest pet," he sneered, releasing his weapon first.

Diving out of the way, I fired my own, replying, "Protégé."

Stepping away, letting the net plummet over the side, he spat, "Whatever you wish to be called; it matters not when I kill you."

"I'm shaking," I returned, notching an exploding arrow.

"Ignorant girl, I'm even better than the Emerald Archer himself." An arrow went whizzing by my head, getting stuck in the wall. "Do you think you really stand a chance against me?"

"Maybe not in a shoot off." I let the arrow go before sliding another in its place. "But in a fight, yes."

As the explosion went off at his feet, my second arrow almost found its mark, but he shot it mid-air. Foam materialized and coated the floor.

"Almost impressive," he mocked, notching another. "But not quite there."

With ease, I dodged the weapon, only to realize that was exactly what he wanted me to do as a rapid volley followed. One embedded itself in my shoulder; two grazed my stomach.

"What now?" he taunted, preparing his weapon.

Grimacing through the pain, I released another exploding arrow and took the opportunity to rip his arrow from my shoulder. Blood began to ooze.

Clicking his tongue disapprovingly, he scolded, "Really, I was expecting better. Green Arrow doesn't take on sidekicks lightly, you know. Such a shame you're nowhere near his caliber."

"Shut up," I spat, determined to end this once and for all.

"You first," he insisted, letting an arrow fly. It was aimed at my throat.

Throwing myself to the floor, I strung a regular arrow and let it go. As he side-stepped, I immediately redid the process, getting him in the thigh. As he hissed in pain, I returned to trick arrows and tried again for the net. This time, it found its mark.

"You haven't won!" he growled, trying to move his bow from underneath the heavy material.

"Oh, really?" I shot at his feet, and the heavy foam encased him from the neck down. "I think I did."

As he shouted curses, I walked down the stairs, ignoring the dull throbbing in my stomach and the burning in my shoulder. _Merlyn's down. How is everyone else doing?_

_ Onomatopoeia just fled,_ Red Arrow growled irritably. _But I'll get him soon enough._

_ I'm still trying to find the Riddler, _Kid Flash grumbled. _These clues to get to him are taking forever!_

_ Two-Face is down_, Zatanna said. _Unconscious on the steps of the White House._

_Wish we could say the same, _Ice mumbled.

_Reptiles are officially on my list of Things to Hate_, Rocket added.

_You guys need help? _I offered.

_We need you more_. Robin's voice cut through. _We can't find the Joker. _

_ What do you mean, you can't find him? He's kind of hard to miss._

_ There's been no activity from him, _Megan explained. _And none of the civilians have any idea where he might have gone._

_ Alright, I'll keep an eye out for him. But maybe he headed back to Gotham?_

_ No way—Joker isn't the runner type. He likes the fight. He's still here, somewhere._

_ Okay._

Aimlessly, I began walking through the city, holding on tightly to my bow, keeping my eyes on my surroundings. My stomach churned as I left the main streets for the alleyways.

"Calm down," I told myself quietly. "You're not going to see him. Robin and Miss Martian will get him. They'll—"

A kind of whistling sound caused me to whirl around, just in time to see a knife flying towards me. Leaping out of the way, I notched an arrow and waited.

"Well hello!" The Joker approached me, a wicked grin on his face. "I have been so impatient to meet you."

I let the arrow fly, but he released a smoke bomb, leaving me unsure if he was hit or not.

"That wasn't very nice," he reprimanded from his hidden location.

_Robin, I found the Joker. Getting here would be really appreciated_.

_We'll be there as soon as we can,_ Megan assured me as more knives flew towards me, emerging from the smoke. _But we're pretty far from you right now._

_ That's not what I needed to hear_, I grumbled, watching as the smoke faded and the Joker lightly tossed a canister from hand to hand.

_Ice and Rocket are closest to you, _Megan offered.

_I'm coming, _Ice promised. _Rocket's just finished subduing Killer Croc. Miss Martian, can you send me a mental picture of her location?_

"Artemis. What an intriguing name." He kept up his game of catch, his eyes never leaving me. "Tell me, how did you come up with it?"

"Tell me why you're here," I growled, notching another weapon. "Are you working on behalf of the Light?"

He laughed crazily, and I unwillingly shivered. "Oh, goodness, _no_. That was a one-time thing—all the planning and the scheming and the nitpicking. No, no, no. I'm like a mad dog. I just chase the cars, not having a clue what I'll do with them when I get them. It's the _chaos_ I enjoy. Now, I hope you're not thinking of hitting me with that—this? In my hands? Joker Venom. And I'm sure Bird Boy gave you and the other kiddies the antidote, but he didn't give it to the city, I'm sure. And as heroes, you don't want anyone to die, right?"

"You still haven't told me why you're here," I spat, reluctantly lowering my weapon. The Joker didn't bluff, that much I knew for certain.

"Two-Face," he explained. "He's an egotistical man, as I'm sure you know, and he thought that he would be better suited at running this fine country. Between you and me, it would go straight to Hell, but, really, who am I to judge? Anywho, Two-Face practically _begged _me to help him, and I wasn't really doing much anyway, so I did. He's the one who called in the other villains, organized the revolts—I was just his escape route. So while him and the others are here to take the government by force—as though that would actually work, hubris is such a terrible thing—I'm here for the fun of it." Pouting, he grumbled, "Even though Two-Face explicitly forbid me from using my Venom."

Before realization could sink in, he threw the canister at me. I ducked out of the way, but it still nicked the very top of my head.

"Surprise!" he shouted, practically skipping over to me. "It was empty! Tricked you, didn't I?"

Instead of responding, I raised my bow, only to have him kick it out of my hands.

"Arrows are so boring!" he jeered, pulling out a long, thin blade. "See, with knives, you can get up close and personal. You can see the fear and the panic. Of course, I was hoping to use this on the Boy Blunder, but since you're here…"

He came at me, but I dodged and landed a punch in his jaw.

"Oh, you'll pay for that," he told me. "Though some flimsy steel won't be the most painful thing to be thrust inside of you."

That caught me off guard, enough for him to bring the knife across my stomach. I gasped and stepped back.

"Struck a nerve, did I?" Laughing, he tried to cut me again, but I kept out of his reach. "Oh, yes, it's old news what Tommy Terror did to you. Tell me, did it hurt? Lying there as he forced himself upon you?"

"Shut up," I growled, kicking him in the stomach. As he grunted, I dove for my bow and scrambled to my feet.

"Touchy, touchy. Really, you dare to use the bow when your hands are shaking like that?"

"Shut up!"

"Did you cry? Scream? Beg? What was it like, to have his hands all over you, to have him in you?"

I released a net arrow, but it wasn't even on target.

"Oh, poor little archer, to be on the receiving end of penetration!" Cackling hysterically, he ran toward me again. I brought my bow across his face, stunning him for a moment, but before I could do anything else, a ball of ice crashed into his back, knocking him to the ground.

"Ah, yes, the villain turned hero," he said, scurrying to his feet and turning to face Ice. "My, my, my, you've grown from the last time I saw you!"

"Shut it," he spat, launching an icicle at the creep's face.

"Tell me, how is Freeze doing? I so miss him in Arkham, though I suppose Belle Reve is an improvement. Such a shame Two-Face didn't have the right connections."

"What's that suppose to mean?" he demanded, forming another ball of ice.

"Why, if he knew the right people, your friends would be revolting, too! And I'm sure they would have escaped. You would have been reunited!"

Ice stared at him, deer in the headlights, and the Joker knocked the makeshift weapon from his hands before kicking him in the stomach.

"Wouldn't you love that?" he inquired. I notched an arrow, but he released another smoke bomb, making it too dangerous to fire, in case I hit my teammate. "I'm sure they all want to get their hands on you. And how long do you think you will live when they do? Snitches get stitches, as they say. But you're not just a snitch, you're a traitor! That's a death-sentence right there! And daddy's not going to save you—he'll probably be the one beating you till you die!"

Suddenly, the smoke cleared, and a batarang cut through the air and dug into the Joker's chest. Glancing up, he had time to see Robin sailing through the sky before his foot met his face and knocked him out.

"Are you guys alright?" Megan asked worriedly, flying down beside us.

"Just a few cuts," I muttered, tracing the slice on my abdomen.

"Fine," Cam murmured, shifting to normalcy.

"Police will get him and the others," Robin said. "The Team's waiting at the bioship."

We walked there in silence, Cam and I too preoccupied with our thoughts to speak. Even the rest of the Team's excitement over the victory couldn't affect us.

"Earth to Artemis, Earth to Cam." Raquel furiously waved her hand in front of our faces. "What is up with you two?"

"Nothing," he agreed simultaneously.

"Don't give us that," Zatanna protested. "Something's wrong."

"Your injuries are more severe than we thought?" Kaldur questioned, inspecting my shoulder.

"No. No. The Joker…he just got inside our heads," I explained.

"How?" Wally asked, approaching with medical gauze and bandages.

"He…he taunted me about the rape."

A single beat of silence passed before Wally wrapped his arms around me. "I'm sorry."

"Are you okay?" Megan asked, twisting in her seat so she could see me and keep her eyes on where she was going.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so," I said, finding solace in the fact that everyone had gotten up and surrounded me.

"How'd he know?" Connor growled.

"Terror had a big mouth," I muttered.

As the girls hugged me, Roy softly addressed Cam: "What'd he say to you?"

With a shrug, he replied, "He just talked about the Belle Reve guys, what they'd do to me if they ever have the chance."

No one responded for a moment; clearly, none of them had anticipated possible consequences of Cam joining the Team.

"Those guys aren't getting out for a long time," Zatanna said.

"And when they do, we'll just have to open a can of Whoop-Ass on them if they even try to get close to you," Raquel assured him, slinging her arm around his shoulders.

"Thanks."

"For real, dude." Wally looked away from me and to him. "No one is going to hurt you."

"Teammates stick together," Robin insisted. The others nodded.

Cam smiled at that, but I knew he was still unnerved, the same way I was. After we'd gotten back to the Cave and everyone had retired for the night, I snuck into the kitchen, and, sure enough, my suspicions were confirmed when I saw Cam, sitting at the table and staring into space.

"Hey." I sat down next to him.

"Hey."

"You doing alright?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Okay."

Facing me, he asked, "You want to sleep alone tonight?"

I shook my head. "No."

We chose his room, him above the covers, me underneath.

"You can't get what he said out of your head either, can you." It was more of a statement than a question.

"No. It's like, I finally put it out of my mind and something has to come along and remind me." I pulled the covers tighter. "And it sucks."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too. I know it must scare you, thinking about what might happen when those Belle Reve guys get out."

"I'll be fine." Gently, he brushed a hair of strand from my eyes. "And so will you. We have the Team to back us up, and our mentors, and you have your mom."

"And we have each other," I added.

Even in the dark, I could tell he was smiling. "Of course."

"We'll be okay."

"We'll be okay," he agreed.

And as I drifted to sleep that night, I knew that was the truth.


	38. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: No.

Epilogue

_Terror throws me to the floor, a wicked grin on his face. "Hey there, pretty girl."_

_ "Get off of me," I hiss, biting at his hand as he tries to touch my face._

_ Pinning me down, he sneers, "Don't be dsiobeyin' me now. I can do whatever I want to you, and no one's gon' be saving you." He leaned down to kiss my neck. "See? Where's your hero, hero?"_

_ "Leave me alone," I growled, struggling under his weight._

_ Clicking his tongue, his hand trailed up and down the exposed flesh of my stomach. "You are such a pretty girl," he muses, tugging on the lower half of my uniform. "Bet you're even prettier when we get this off of you."_

_ "Don't! Stop it! Stop it!"_

"Artemis!"

I sat up in bed, my heart pounding loudly, my breathing erratic. My boyfriend was next to me, concern in his eyes.

"You were having a nightmare," he softly explained.

"You heard me from your room?" I so did not need the Team running in to check on me.

"No. I…I just came by. To make sure you were okay."

"But I haven't had a nightmare in months."

"I know, but today…today's the one-year anniversary of…you know. I shouldn't call it an anniversary, should I? I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's okay," I assured him, drawing my knees to my chest. Quietly, I mused, "A year. A whole year."

"Doesn't feel like it?" he asked, sitting down beside me.

"Don't know. It's weird—sometimes, it feels like it was a lifetime ago, but other times, it feels like it just happened. I could just be doing whatever I'm doing and all of a sudden something triggers a memory and I'm stuck in that warehouse, waiting." Involuntarily, I shivered, and he tenderly wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Leaning my head against his chest, I replied, "It doesn't happen that often now, but when it does…I just want to forget it, you know?"

"I know." He pulled me into a hug, and it was familiar and comforting and _safe_.

"Thank you, Cam," I whispered, snuggling against him.

"You're welcome, Artemis," he returned, kissing my forehead.

A lot can change in a year. You slowly realize that the boy you think you love isn't the true love of your life. Sure, he's still your friend and you have each other's backs and he'll always have a special place in your heart, but he's not the one you're meant to be with. That person is, as cliché as it sounds, your best friend. Because he's known you your whole life and he's always been there, through the best and worst times. He's the one who turned his world upside down in an instant just to make sure you were okay. He's the one who took care of you, putting you first above everything else. He is your Wonderland: he's the only one who can take you there, and the only one who can lead you home.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

So, yes, this is complete. For those expecting/ wanting more, I'm sorry, but I liked where it stopped with Chapter 37. I don't want to prolong this, trying to add more just because, and with school coming up in a week, I don't know how regular my updates would be and that didn't seem fair to you guys.

Thank you all for your continual support.


End file.
